Moments like This
by RoseAngelx
Summary: After a fight with Cinderblock, Beast Boy realises how important Raven actually is to him, and considers doing the unexpected: asking her out on a date. But why would Raven agree to go out with him?
1. Realisation

Hi there everyone. I've recently started re-watching the _Teen Titans_ series, and I'm noticing a heap of subtle BBRae hints that I didn't notice the first time, which has got me re-obsessed with the pairing. This story came to me a couple of nights ago, and, though I'm not completely sure how good it will be, the plot bunny wouldn't let me sleep until I wrote it. So...here's the first chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Teen Titans_ or anything related to it.

* * *

**Moments like This**

**Chapter 1**

**Realisation **

To an outsider, Titans Tower, and the young heroes inside of it looked like they would on an entirely normal day. Robin was outside, training. Starfire was in the kitchen, cooking a traditional Tamaranean dish which she seemed to think smelt nice, though the smell was rather repulsive to any normal person. Raven was levitating cross-legged above the roof of the T-shaped tower, meditating; and Cyborg and Beast Boy were sitting on the couch, racing each other in a video game. But that was where things were not normal. Cyborg was trying as hard as ever, the game being rather intense for him, but Beast Boy wasn't thinking of the game at all. He wasn't even hearing Cyborg's teasing comments as the part-robot beat the "green bean". He was still thinking about their most recent fight with Cinderblock. It had been almost a week, but it was still on his mind…

_"Titans, go!" yelled Robin, and the five teens flew, or ran at the concrete structure. The fight was fast and somewhat difficult to keep up with, but it looked like the Titans were winning. Cinderblock was putting up a pretty good fight, though. As he advanced on them, Robin had to yell "Titans, move!" and they all had to get out of the way. Raven flew backwards a little, but remained floating in front of him, hood up, eyes glowing._

_ "Azarath, Metrion Zin-AAH!" _

_ A large, concrete fist came down on her, stopping her from finishing her chant and knocking her to the ground. Beast Boy saw it first; he saw her falling, saw her hit the ground with a sickening __**smack! **__And then he saw a concrete foot above her, about to crush her. _

_ He reacted without thinking, letting his instincts take over as he shifted into a large rhino. He charged towards the concrete villain, and collided with him head first, with enough force to knock him backwards. Once he was on the ground, it was easy enough for Robin, Cyborg and Starfire to finish him off._

_ Raven was barely conscious when Beast Boy got to her. She had hit the ground hard. He tried to help her up, and she murmured something incoherent, before passing out. _

_ Raven remained unconscious for the rest of the day, and the night, as her powers worked to heal her of any injuries, both internal and external. Each of the Titans checked on her frequently, but Beast Boy stayed with her the entire time, ignoring all the other Titans when they told him he should eat something, or get some rest. He refused to leave her side and just sat there, watching, waiting for her to wake up. He dozed off a couple of times, but not for long, and when Raven did awaken the following morning, he looked like he had gotten no sleep whatsoever. _

Beast Boy didn't know why he was still thinking about it a week afterwards. Raven was fully recovered and perfectly healthy, and no one else had been injured. The thing was, while she was unconscious, they weren't sure if she would make it through the night. Her powers were strong, but her injuries were bad. She had hit the ground head first; she may have had damage to her brain and internal bleeding. And while he sat there beside the bed in the medical room, thinking of the possibility of losing her, he realised how important she actually was to him. She was more than just a team mate; she was a really, really close friend. He might have even liked her, as in _like _liked her. It didn't feel the same as when he had liked Terra; he had fallen for her instantly and couldn't help but blush when she was near, but it didn't feel like it would if the injured girl was "just a friend".

"Yo, BB?" Cyborg waved his hand in front of the changeling's face, bringing him back to reality. "I just beat your little green butt. Aren't you going to demand a rematch?"

"No." Beast Boy slid off the couch and began to walk away to his room.

"BB? What's up, man?" Cyborg sounded somewhat concerned.

"Nothing," Beast Boy answered over his shoulder before the door slid shut behind him.

TT

Beast Boy lay awake on his bed, doing something that none of the Titans thought he was actually able to do: thinking. He thought about Terra, about how he had felt about her, and then thought about Raven. He was entirely over Terra. Yes, he missed her, but only as a friend and nothing more. It had taken him a while to get over, but he did.

Raven. He had known Raven for years. He fell for Terra instantly, but he never thought of Raven as more than a friend. Well, he hadn't consciously, anyway. Now that he was thinking about it, he always had thought she was pretty. _Really _pretty. Maybe even beautiful. And he always tried to make her smile or laugh – with anyone else, if they didn't like his jokes he'd shrug it off, but with her, he'd keep trying. And he cared about her; anyone who had seen the fight with Cinderblock and the events afterwards would know that. Were these symptoms of a…of a crush? Was it possible that, deep down inside, he had a crush on the mysterious, somewhat creepy empath that was Raven?

For a second, he actually considered asking her out on a date. He remembered Malchior; he remembered how Raven had actually felt loved when she was with him…or, when she was with who he pretended to be. As much as she would deny it, she was just like any girl, just like any person in the world – she had that human desire to love and be loved. But there was no way Raven actually liked _him_. There was no way she would agree to going on a date with him.

But it was worth a try.

* * *

I'm sorry it's short. It didn't turn out as good as I hoped but maybe the next chapter will be better. I'd really like it if you would review it for me. Please?


	2. Attempt One

I have updated! Be proud. Umm...I don't know what else to say so I'll just get straight to the review replies.

**Review Replies**

Xealvi: I'm glad you liked it. I love Raven too. :) Thanks for the review.

momoxoxo4: Oh, don't worry about babbling. Long reviews are great fun to read. And thank you for your patience. I can be very slow when it comes to updating, especially because I go back to school on Monday. But thanks for reviewing.

crazynerd: I actually never saw Raven and Robin as a pairing, even in the forth season. Particularly because of the scene where Raven was reverted back to a child, I always saw Raven and Robin as a pair that had a bond like that of brother and sister, but never like that of lovers. But I won't go into a rant about that...Thanks for reviewing. :)

big d: Thanks! :)

Emily Snow Loves TT: I know, I know. But this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone! And I promise, my next story, whether it be a one-shot or a long fic, will be RobStar. I even put some RobStar references in here, just for you. Thanks for the review, it made me smile.

Kyrotec: This story probably will be a little cliche in places, so I'm sorry about that. But I agree with you with the "EPIC bedside confession of love", it doesn't really work with this pairing. With Starfire and Robin, I could see it happening, but not with Beast Boy and Raven. For this to be believable they're going to have to take it slow. Thank you very, very much for the review. :)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Teen Titans.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Attempt One**

Well aware that the other Titans, minus Raven, would want to question his odd behaviour, Beast Boy tried to slip out of his room as silently as possible. But although his quiet footsteps probably would not have been heard as he stepped into the hallway, he was still caught by Robin, who was standing outside his door, fist in the air as if he were about to knock. Though his mask covered his eyes, one could tell that they widened in surprise as the door slid open seconds before he had the chance to knock. And Beast Boy hadn't expected to see him standing there either, so it made him jump with an exclamation of "Dude!"

"Beast Boy," said Robin once he regained his composure. "Cyborg said you were acting a bit…funny before. Is everything all right?"

Beast Boy used the first excuse that came to his mind. "Oh yeah, everything's fine. I just needed to get out because…because of Starfire's cooking! I mean, YUCK! It smells gross!"

This excuse was probably not the best to use, especially in front of the Titans' leader. The teen's eye twitched in frustration, and looked as if he were about to say something when the green changeling cut him off with a sly smirk. "Sorry. I forgot you didn't like it when people talked about your _girlfriend_."

Robin's cheeks turned red, and he glared at Beast Boy from behind his mask. "She's not my girlfriend!"

"You're right, she's not." Beast Boy's smirk didn't drop from his face. "But you want her to be." And before Robin could reply, the young Titan spun on his heels and walked away, whistling a cheerful little tune and leaving a fuming Robin behind him, Said Titan muttered to himself as he headed back into the common room.

Beast Boy turned a corner, and stopped whistling, letting out a small sigh of relief. He wiped his brow with a "Phew…" and then straightened up again, running a hand through his green hair. "Okay Beast Boy," he said to himself. "Let's do this." And he headed up to the roof.

TT

When the common room doors slid open, Cyborg tore his eyes away from the large screen and looked over his shoulder at the raven haired boy that walked into the room.

"So? What's up with him?" he asked as he took a seat on the couch.

Robin looked over his shoulder at Starfire, who was still in the kitchen. He couldn't help but notice how happy she looked as she did so; her green eyes sparkling and a bright smile on her face. He couldn't hurt her feelings, if she overheard him telling Cyborg what Beast Boy had said about her food.

"It's nothing. He's fine."

TT

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"

"Hey Raven."

The purple haired empath immediately recognised Beast Boy's voice as he came up onto the roof. Said girl was still floating above the tower, eyes closed and hood off, and facing the sun as it began to set, casting a warm, orange glow over Jump City. She made no effort to acknowledge Beast Boy's presence as she continued to meditate. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

"Raven," Beast Boy said again, and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. _Just ignore him. Maybe he'll go away. _"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zin-"

"RAVEN!"  
Her eyes snapped open, and she looked over her shoulder, glaring at the green boy behind her. "What?"

"…Hi!"

Raven muttered something under her breath and turned to face the setting sun again. Beast Boy walked over behind her, and she knew that she wouldn't be meditating until he went back downstairs. "What is it, Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak, before realising that he hadn't thought this far ahead. In fact, he hadn't really thought about it at all. He had thought simply of asking Raven out. That was it. No thoughts on how to ask her out or how to respond to her possible reactions, just "ask her out".

"Uh…" As usual, Beast Boy let the first thing that came into his mind come out of his mouth. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I _was _meditating," Raven stated in her monotone-like voice, lowering herself to the roof, "Until somebody interrupted me."

"Heh…Sorry about that…" said Beast Boy, nervously scratching the back of his head.

Raven didn't reply to this. "So what are _you _doing out here?"

"I, uh…I…" Beast Boy was never really one to get nervous, but he found himself tripping over his words. "I wanted to…um…I was wondering…"

"What is it, Beast Boy?" said Raven with a sigh.

"I was wondering if…if…" he sighed ever so slightly, "if you were feeling better, you know, after Cinderblock and everything."

"That was a week ago, Beast Boy. I'm perfectly fine."

"Heh…oh yeah," said Beast Boy, his voice not sounding quite as happy as usual. "I guess time really does fly."

Raven said nothing.

"I, uh, I'll leave you meditate now."

"That would be a good idea." Raven levitated herself into the air again, and closed her eyes. Beast Boy stood up and walked back towards the entrance to the roof, hearing the empath start repeating "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos" behind him.

TT

Back downstairs, Beast Boy slammed his head against the wall, realising that it was a stupid idea _after _it made contact. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," he muttered to himself. "What is wrong with you? _Would you like to go out with me, Raven? _How hard is it to say? The entire thing was perfect. It was sunset and everything! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Beast Boy?"

The young Titan squeaked in surprise at the sound of the sweet, gentle voice of Starfire. She had just come around the corner, and was looking questionably at Beast Boy. "Why are you hitting the wall with your head?"

"Uh…because…it's…fun?" His 'statement' sounded more like a question.

"I did not think that pain was the fun…"

"Um, no, it's not. So don't try it. Yeah. See ya!" Beast Boy raced around the corner before Starfire could say anything else, leaving the alien girl very confused.

* * *

I'm sorry that this chapter is short, again. But...I _hope _it's good.

Review? I'll love you forever...and give you virtual cookies.


	3. Attempt Two

So...Who wants to kill me because it's taken me so long to update? Please do. I'm so over everything at the moment. Blame school for my lack of updating. But I'm on holidays now, which doesn't mean I don't have homework, it just means I'm procrastinating it all until the day before school resumes. So, I'm sorry it's taken so long, and I'm even more sorry that this chapter is so terrible, but...here it is, anyway.

**Review Replies**

Xealvi: Well, I guess you'll just have to read and find out.

The Cretan: Thank you. :) I'm glad you're enjoying it.

bookbabe16: I'm sorry I didn't update earlier...Here it is!

Sasse1892: I'm really glad you like it. I will _try _to make the chapters longer, I promise, but at the moment I'm a little short on...well, things to write about. I'm sorry.

FrivolousFlare: Why yes, I'm a sly old dog, aren't I? ;) I'm actually quite liking slipping RobStar hints here and there...I should continue.

DukeManAustin: Thank you. :)

Zutarafan14: Yes. Poor Beast Boy. Poor wittle Beast Boy.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Teen Titans. If I did, these two *points to Raven and Beast Boy* would have kissed a looooooong time ago.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Attempt 2 **

Beast Boy paced back and forth in his room, a thoughtful and perhaps slightly annoyed expression on his face. "What am I supposed to do?" he muttered to himself. "Ugh. The last time I asked someone out I completely stuffed it up and then she ended up outside my window on a floating rock. I'M NOT GOOD AT THIS STUFF!"

He stopped pacing and groaned, slumping on the floor. Why was this so difficult? He knew he wasn't good at the whole asking-out thing, but at least with Terra he had managed to get the words out of his mouth.

His eyes lit up, and if this was some cartoon, he was pretty sure he'd have a bright light bulb above his head. That was it! Maybe he didn't have to get the words out of his mouth. Maybe he could write them down instead.

He shuffled through the piles of things on his floor, throwing things carelessly over his shoulder until he found what he was looking for – a notebook that he had never touched. The green changeling wasn't one who wrote things down. He didn't keep a diary, he didn't keep notes on any of their missions or villains like Robin did, he didn't do any sort of creative writing – he'd never had a reason to use the notebook at all, until now. He tore out a page and then found a pen. He took of the lid, and then wrote.

_Dear Raven,_

_I was going to ask you out today, but then I freaked. Want to go out? _

He scrunched up said note and threw it away. It was too blunt. Raven liked reading, novels or sometimes poetry. Maybe a poem would go down better.

_Dear Raven,_

_Roses are red._

_Violets are blue._

_Want to go out? _

_I want to. _

That note got scrunched up as well. Clearly poetry was not his thing. He pictured his fellow Titan in his mind and tried again.

_Raven,_

_I think you are beautiful, both on the outside and inside too. I look at you, and I feel something that I can't explain. I like you, a lot. Would you like to go out with me? _

Reading over that again, he grimaced at how clichéd the note was, and it joined the pile of scrunched up notes. Maybe he could just get straight to the point.

_Would you like to go out with me? _

_Circle: _

_Yes / No_

As could be predicted, that note also ended up in the pile of scrunched up notes.

"Why is this so difficult?" he groaned as he dropped the notebook and pen and lay down on the floor. He couldn't just ask her, he couldn't write a note…what else was he supposed to do? Sing her a love song?

Anyone who had ever heard him sing in the shower would agree that that was definitely not a good idea.

He sighed.

TT

As the last glow of sunlight set over the horizon, the purple-haired empath returned from her rooftop meditation, the usual calmness that she felt after meditation flowing through her body. She walked into the common room, curious about what her fellow Titans were doing. After all, knowing Beast Boy tonight would probably be a movie night.

Naturally, she was surprised to discover that Beast Boy was not in the common room. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg were watching some action cartoon that appeared to be the type of thing that Beast Boy would enjoy. It didn't look like the type of thing Starfire would watch, either, but she was sitting close to Robin, which, Raven guessed, was the only reason she was sitting there at all. Robin had his arm stretched out over the back of the couch, behind Starfire, so it was sort of like he had his arm around her without touching her. Raven knew Robin – she had been in his mind, after all – and she knew that secretly, he longed to pull the alien girl into his arms and hold her there. And if she knew anything about Starfire, she knew that secretly, Starfire kind of wanted that too. The two were so clueless it was almost funny. Everyone in the tower, and every Titan outside of it knew that they liked each other, except for them.

Her presence hadn't gone unnoticed by all of the Titans in the common room. Cyborg looked over his shoulder and grinned at the empath. "Yo, Rae!" he called. "BB's sulking or something; wanna take his place?"

"Beast Boy's sulking?" Raven repeated, raising her eyebrows.

"Well duh. He wouldn't miss movie night unless he was sulking, right?"

"Hm," Raven responded, before heading back out of the common room and to her own room. She passed by Beast Boy's room on the way, and considered seeing if he really was sulking, but then decided against it and went back to her room to read. If she had entered Beast Boy's room, she would have found him pacing, yet again, and muttering to himself.

TT

"Okay, Beast Boy," he said sternly, walking back and forth, his look of intense concentration back on his face. "You're going to ask Raven out. You're going to go to her, and you're going to tell her that you like her and that you want to go out with her, and you are NOT going to chicken out, nor are you going to epically fail and embarrass yourself and have to hide under a rock for the rest of eternity. You're going to be very cool about it and it's all going to work out fine. Okay? Get it? Got it? Good. Let's do this thing."

He put on his best "cool" attitude – walking slowly, hands shoved in his pockets, a sly half-grin on his face, until he got to Raven's room, and then let out what almost sounded like a whimper. He had never been this nervous about something in his entire life. He turned around, beginning to walk back. _I can't do this._

_ Yes you can! _One of the little voices in his head shouted over the other, and he turned around. He lifted his hand to knock, and then chickened out for a second time, turning around again. _Okay Beast Boy. You can do this. _He ran his hands through his hair, and went to turn around again. _You can do-_

"EEP!"

Of course Raven would have chosen that exact moment to come out of her room. She was standing in her doorway, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Oh, hey, Raven," said Beast Boy, with a nervous chuckle.

"Is there a particular reason you're standing outside my door?"

Ah, typical Raven, getting straight to the point.

"Um, well, yeah, I wanted to ask you…"

She said nothing. That probably meant he could continue.

"Well…I was wondering if…I was hoping…Raven would…I mean…"

"What is it, Beast Boy?" she asked, in her usual monotone. And then Beast Boy just spilt out everything, in the least cool manner possible – in a high pitched voice, speaking so fast that the words seemed to become one.

"Raven-would-you-pretty-please-go-out-with-me?"

* * *

...Yeeah, I don't like that chapter either.

Review anyway?


	4. Answer

Hello, long forgotten fanfic. I'm sorry, again, that I take so long to update. Really, I am, and I promise, I will try to update quicker next time. This chapter is sadly very short, and hardly makes up for the long time it took me to update, but, it's better than nothing, right? Right?

Enough apologies. Let's get to the review replies.

**Review Replies**

Soulfulbard: Admittedly, I wanted to drag out his failed attempts of asking her out a little longer too, but I figured it would get repetitive, after two whole chapters of it. Thanks for reviewing.

Xealvi: Beast Boy really needs all the luck he can get at the moment. Silly boy. Thank you for your review. :)

ravenwolf777: I truly am very sorry it took me so long to update. I understand if you now hate me.

The Cretin: Your review made me smile. Thank you very much, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

FrivolousFlare: Thank you for reviewing. That particular attempt was actually based off the way someone I know was once asked out. It seemed like something Beast Boy would do. And...please don't eat me.

winged demon wolf: I'm glad the chapter was to your liking. Oh, and thank you for the virtual cookie! *Eats virtual cookie*

momoxoxo4: Thank you very much for the review, and I'm glad you find Robin and Starfire cute. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Teen Titans._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Answer**

"What?"

Raven's expression, as always, was practically unreadable, the only sign of emotion on it whatsoever being her raised eyebrows. It certainly didn't help Beast Boy's nervousness, but, now the words were out there, he had nothing else to loose, right? He spoke again, making special effort to speak slower.

"Um, I was wondering if you, uh, wanted to go out sometime." When she didn't answer and her expression didn't change, he added, "You know, like a...date."

"A...date?" she repeated, as if she thought she had misheard, or thought that Beast Boy was out of his mind, or something along those lines.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Beast Boy, his voice slightly higher than usual. "A date. So, uh, what do you say?"

"No."

The door slammed shut with a _thud_, and Beast Boy couldn't help but think of how...anti-climatic her response was. And then her response properly sunk in, and his shoulders slumped in defeat, mood instantly dropping.

"Beast Boy?"

The green changeling yelped in surprise, jumping what felt like three feet in the air, and spinning around. Standing in the hall, only a few metres away, was the team's leader, confusion evident even behind his mask.

"Did you just...ask Raven out on a date?"

"What?" exclaimed Beast Boy a little too quickly, his voice a little too high. "That's crazy! Why would I..." He cut himself off at the sight of Robin's expression of disbelief, and sighed, voice nearly inaudible as he muttered, "Don't tell Cyborg, okay? He'll never shut up about it."

There was a pause, before Robin, as if he did not believe what he had just witnessed, said, "You actually asked her out?"

"...Yeah."

"But...why? I didn't think you liked her..."

Beast Boy kept his eyes on the ground, his green cheeks a faint shade of pink. "Yeah, well, I didn't think so either, but I guess I kind of do..." He sighed, feeling very un-Beast Boy like. Usually he was the laughing, joking, never-serious one of the team, and now he just felt like...well...crap. "It's not like it matters anyway. She's not interested." He turned without waiting for Robin to respond, and, now actually sulking, made his way back to his room, leaving Robin where he was, staring at the place where Beast Boy had been with a look of utter confusion on his face, before turning and heading into his own room.

And behind a closed door, Raven leaned back against the wall, having heard the entire conversation outside. _He actually...likes me? _

TT

Robin kept his promise to Beast Boy, and didn't mention his conversation with him at all to Cyborg. But when Beast Boy refused to come out for dinner, despite the fact that it was pizza, he knew that action had to be taken. And he knew just the person to help.

TT

Raven did join the other Titans for dinner, although she ate in even more silence than she normally did, and resigned to her room the moment she finished. She didn't think Beast Boy was serious when he asked her out – he had never shown any sign in actually being interested in her – and so, having heard the conversation outside her room, she was very, very confused. She wasn't interested in going out with him, of course (although she had argued with herself over this during the last couple of minutes...), but the thought that he was interested in going out with her was a strange one.

When there was a light knock at her door, she quickly came to an assumption on who it was, and called out, "The answer is no, Beast Boy."

"It is not Beast Boy. It is Starfire." The empath looked up as she heard the voice of the only other female Titan on the team, telling herself off for coming to conclusions as went to the door and let it slide open. She didn't have to speak, for Starfire got there first.

"I heard that Beast Boy asked you to do the dating with him."

"...Oh," murmured Raven, wondering if Beast Boy had told her, or if Robin had. She guessed the latter.

There was a pause, before the alien-girl asked, "Why did you say no?"

"I...don't want to?" Her tone made the statement sound a little more like a question

"I do not understand your earthly customs, but should you not do the dating with someone you like?"

"It's more than just like, Starfire," said Raven, her voice emotionless and monotone-like as usual. "You date somebody that you..._really _like."

"And you do not like Beast Boy?"

Raven didn't respond for a good minute before she said, "I'd rather not talk about this, Starfire." The alien-girl's mood clearly dropped, but Raven paid no attention to it as she returned to her room, the door sliding shut behind her.

TT

While Starfire attempted to talk to Raven, Robin attempted to talk to Beast Boy. After all, if the two were going to be uncomfortable around each other, it would not help the team. It didn't matter if they properly went out or not, but they had to at least be as close of friends as they were when the day had begun. The team's leader found Beast Boy sprawled out on his bed, face down and making no effort to even look up to see who had entered his room.

Robin was never good with words. For that matter, he was never good with feelings. He could take down hundreds of bad guys single-handedly, he could save lives of his fellow teammates or of civilians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he could not talk about feelings, whether they be their feelings or his own, and he wasn't good at offering advice on anything feeling-related. So instead of saying words to start off with, he coughed to get the green changeling's attention. When that got no response, he coughed again, louder. And then he coughed a third time, louder again. And finally, the Titan rolled over, green eyes meeting the leader's mask.

Robin opened his mouth to speak, but Beast Boy interrupted him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But..." began Robin, but he was cut off again.

"I said I _don't _want to talk about it. I'm fine. Just go away, please."

Beast Boy didn't have manners, so by the fact that he said "please", Robin knew that staying there was getting nowhere. He sighed slightly in defeat and, after deciding he didn't know what else to say, left the room to meet up with an equally disappointed Starfire. The two returned to the common room feeling that their efforts, however small, had gone completely to waste and no good had come from it at all.

But, even though Robin's attempted talk with Beast Boy had done absolutely nothing, Starfire's attempted talk with Raven had done something. It had gotten her thinking.

And, in getting her thinking, it had got her reconsidering.

* * *

Again, I'm sorry it's so short, but I do hope you liked it anyway. I will update quicker next time, I swear!

Also, reviews make me happy.


	5. Emotional Whirlpool

I figured that, after taking so long to update last time, I owed you guys a much quicker update now, and I worried that, with school resuming tomorrow, I wouldn't have much time otherwise. And I can't deny that the reviews I received from the last chapter made me extremely happy, and therefore motivated to write another chapter. It might not be a particularly long one, but I feel it is an important one, and I sort of like how it turned out.

**Review Replies**

Soulfulbard: I received your review first, and it made me smile. Thank you, very much. I couldn't have Raven accept immediately; it was far too un-Raven-like. I'm glad you're liking how this is turning out.

FrivolousFlare: Yes, we are talking about the "Circle: Yes/No" note. I probably should have specified that. Thank you for your review; I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

Kyrotec: I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story. Thank you so much for the review. I really appreciate it. :)

The Cretin: Thank you, very much, for reviewing. I'm glad that you're not annoyed at how long it takes me to update. Enjoy this chapter.

Honestly, I can't thank you four enough for the reviews. They made me far happier than they should have.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the _Teen Titans _

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Emotional Whirlpool**

As the moon rose above Titan's tower, the entire atmosphere was completely different to any other night during their years of living there. There was an eerie sort of silence about, and even when Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin spoke, or the TV turned on, or anything else made some sort of sound, it didn't take away the silent feel that the place had, even though it took away the silence itself. Cyborg was the only one who knew nothing of the entire Beast Boy and Raven incident, but even he could tell that something was up. And you couldn't blame him for being suspicious; what, with Beast Boy refusing to join him for movie night or to play any of their video games, and with Robin and Starfire seeming to have silent conversations; exchanging glances occasionally, or having whispered conversations every time he left the couch. He asked them about it, several times, but Robin was loyal enough to his friends to know when to keep a secret, and Starfire almost came close to telling once, but Robin quickly grabbed her hand, a silent warning, and she shut up immediately (though she did begin to blush a little).

Beast Boy lay weakly on his bed, having not moved, and not planning to move, from the face-down position that Robin had found him in when he entered. He didn't lie there moping forever; he fell asleep shortly after Robin left, into a peaceful, dreamless unconsciousness. He hadn't even been this distraught when Terra had originally refused to take him up on his offer of a date; this feeling was the strangest he had ever experienced, and he couldn't for the life of him explain it.

Raven, visibly, looked less emotional about the whole thing. She had sat in silence for a short while after Starfire had left, just thinking, and questioning why on earth he asked her out and why on earth he'd be interested in going out with her, before picking a book off her shelf and proceeding to levitate cross-legged above her bed, reading. The weird thing was that even her most loved books couldn't stop the thoughts from creeping into her mind. Why she couldn't block the thoughts out was beyond her. She most certainly did not feel any attraction towards Beast Boy and she was most certainly wasn't interested in actually going out with him, or at least that was what she was telling herself. Beast Boy actually asking her out had brought back some old memories, of Malchior. She didn't miss Malchior himself, that she was sure of, but, well, even with demon heritage and unnatural powers, she was only human, and humans do have that desire to love and be loved. Even though she didn't miss _Malchior_, she did, though she'd never admit it, miss the feeling that he gave her – the belief that she was capable of being loved, and the thought that maybe, maybe she was beautiful.

And so, even though it was Beast Boy who, ultimately, had been rejected, it was Raven who sat in the middle of an emotional whirlpool and Raven who tossed and turned in bed that night.

TT

The moon fell and the sun rose, and the Titan's awoke as they did any other day. Beast Boy always slept in, so the fact that he was not out of bed quickly was nothing out of the ordinary, and Raven was up at the same time as she normally was, seated in the common room with a book and a cup of tea. Starfire and Robin exchanged glances when they saw at her, and Cyborg watched them suspiciously from behind his plate of bacon and eggs, but otherwise, nothing was any different to any other morning.

With the state in which Beast Boy had been the night before, it wouldn't have surprised Starfire and Robin if said Titan hadn't come out of his room very quickly the next day, and, as a matter of fact, what did surprise them was the fact that not only was he up about as early as he normally was, but he looked as bright and happy as he normally did. He didn't sulk into the common room, and he didn't make any effort to avoid conversation with his fellow Titans. He greeted Robin and Starfire as he would on any normal morning, he argued with Cyborg about eating meat, and shortly after breakfast the two were on the couch, battling each other on another vehicle racing game. Starfire and Robin were rather surprised at Beast Boy's emotional recovery. They knew he wouldn't sulk forever and they knew that he would get over it, but they did think that he'd still be a little...unlike himself for at least a day.

However, after Starfire left the common room and shortly before Robin did the same, he did notice that Beast Boy wasn't quite himself after all. When Raven finished her book and stood up to go leave, he noticed Beast Boy, for a split second, glance towards the girl before quickly turning his head back to the screen, and he noticed Raven make extra effort to avoid his gaze as well, not even acknowledging his existence as she passed him by.

As calm and as "normal" as they appeared on the outside, none of the other Titans knew of the thoughts buzzing around in both of their minds.

TT

The day continued like this – "normally". The two Titans who knew, to an extent, of the Beast Boy and Raven situation couldn't stop themselves from slipping out of their separate rooms occasionally so they could do things in the common room, "coincidentally" at the same time that both Raven and Beast Boy were in said room. They both wanted to see how the two would act around each other; however, Starfire was merely curious, whilst Robin was looking at it from a more professional point of view, wanting to know if this awkward situation between them would stop them from acting as they normally would when they were fighting bad guys and protecting the city and doing all the things that the Titans were there to do. When they were forced to do this later that afternoon, when another particular Titan, Bumblebee, was forced to call for backup, he discovered that he had nothing to worry about. The two fought as they would any other time, and it didn't stop them from rescuing each other when one of them was cornered or trapped. But, as soon as all was done, the two returned to avoiding each other, Beast Boy secretly sneaking glances but quickly looking away, and Raven avoiding his gaze at all costs.

To someone like Cyborg, who knew nothing of the situation, the tower seemed entirely normal. And to people like Robin and Starfire, who did know of the situation, they thought that it would just be awkward around each other for a while until the whole thing blew over. But they were wrong, for the thoughts were far from leaving the two other Titans' minds.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated.


	6. Avoiding the Problem

Hi all! So, I've been off school sick for the past two days, and, considering that today I'm actually able to think straight, yet I still can't bring myself to do any homework, I figured I'd do something else productive and I'd actually update. In my defence, I honestly hadn't had any time to update at all until now. I literally got an assignment on day two of school, and they just kept piling up.

**Review Replies**

To-the-max: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Emotions are always fun to write about.

FrivolousFlare: Chapter names can be difficult. If I can't think of one, I just write the chapter first, and then read through it and see if I can find a word or phrase that particularly stuck out, and I use that.

The Cretin: Thank you for your wishes of good luck regarding school. I certainly needed it. Australia has completely different school terms to everywhere else (we start in Februrary instead of September like the rest of you). I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

REDEADED: Heart-breaking? Well, I suppose getting an emotion like that out of the story is certainly a good sign. Thanks for reviewing.

Edgar H. Stutter: Thank you very much for reviewing, especially with such a long review. It made me smile. Thank you, also, for your suggestions. I certainly appreciate it, and will keep them in mind. Enjoy chapter six!

**Question: **Do you guys like it when I have review replies in my author's notes? I'm not sure if they get annoying or not; if I should continue writing them, or if I should just PM any reviewer that I feel needs a reply and leave them out of the author's note. Please give me your opinion.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Teen Titans, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction on them.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Avoiding the Problem **

Raven sat on the edge of the roof of the Titan's Tower, legs hanging over the side, watching as the red sun sank below the horizon. It had been three days since Beast Boy had asked her out, but nothing had changed. The two of them were still avoiding each other; she didn't believe she had even made eye contact with him at all over the past few days, except for the occasional glance during a fight with one of the city's villains, in which they'd have to work as a team in order to not get each other, or themselves, killed. She had thought that if she had just avoided Beast Boy, the whole thing would just blow over, but that was more like avoiding the problem. Thinking it would blow over easily was clearly a rather naive thought. Beast Boy had sulked for long enough for the empath to know that asking her out was not a joke; he, for unknown reasons, actually wanted to go out with her. And her refusal had made him far, far more upset than she had expected it too. Avoiding him was avoiding the problem. How long would it take for them to return to normal?

"Maybe you should talk to him."

The empath stiffened slightly in surprise, looking over her shoulder and seeing the team's leader walking across the roof. He sat down beside her, swinging his legs over the side of the building like she did.

"I've already tried talking to Beast Boy," he continued when the empath didn't speak. "But he refused to listen to anything I had to say."

She didn't respond.

"Maybe avoiding it would work," he continued. "But I don't know how long this is going to go on for. It's getting painful to watch you two when you're in the same room."

He turned to look at her, though the empath was staring out into the distance.

"I don't really understand all of this, Raven, but I think you need to stop avoiding the problem. The longer this goes on, the harder it's going to be to return to normal. I'd tell Beast Boy the same thing, but he won't listen to anything involving your name and the word "talk"."

Raven remained silent, thoughtful, and the team's leader gave her a moment to think, choosing not to say anything. When she finally spoke, her tone was a soft mutter.

"I'm supposed to understand emotions. Not be confused by them."

"Avoiding him isn't going to make you understand them any more than you already do."

Raven sighed, looking down at her lap. Robin waited for her to speak, but shortly after realised that she wasn't going to. He stood up.

"I just thought I'd better talk to you," he said, looking over her one last time before turning to leave.

"Robin?"

He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Raven look at him. She smiled faintly for a second. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied, before heading inside, and leaving Raven to ponder over what he had said.

TT

Beast Boy laid sprawled out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. This wasn't actually anything out of the ordinary; when he wasn't eating or playing video games or playing pranks on any of the other Titans, Beast Boy would often lie on his bed, simply too lazy to get up. But, of course, this time, a certain someone was on his mind.

He hadn't been moping the entire three days. No, he was back to normal, overtly, excluding the times that Raven walked by him. And he wasn't like some love-drunk teenager who was thinking about her _all the time_. When he spoke to the other Titans, or played video games, or did anything else, she would hardly cross his mind. But then if he just lay there, with nothing else to occupy his mind, he'd just start daydreaming, and one thing would lead to another, and he'd be playing that moment over in his head again.

He wasn't in love with her or anything. That was stupid. He couldn't be in love with her. ('Right?' said the tiny voice in his head, but he blocked said thought out.) But he did like her. A lot. If he didn't, he'd not still be thinking about having asked her out, and he most definitely would not be wishing that she had said yes.

He couldn't bring himself to talk to her. He was far too scared of how she would react. When Raven was angry, Raven was _angry_, and that usually led to the explosion of any loose items around the room. Angry Raven was certainly one that you would want to stay away from, due to risks of serious injury, and/or being mentally scarred for life. And so, sure Raven would not want to speak to him either, the green changeling could only hope that this whole event would blow over and leave their minds completely and forever.

TT

Raven walked through the otherwise empty hall of Titans tower, keeping an eye out for any of her fellow teammates. Knowing them, they'd be in the common room, probably getting ready for dinner. She stopped outside of Beast Boy's room, and listened. It was silent inside. She reached out her mind, and found that he was, in fact, in his room. She sighed slightly. "What are you doing?" she muttered to herself under her breath, before taking a deep breath, and phasing through the door.

TT

"Beast Boy."

The green changeling let out a very un-manly scream, jumping a foot into the air at the sound of the voice that he had hardly heard in the past few days. He spun around on his bed, seeing the purple-haired empath standing just inside his room, a swirling black hole fading from the door that she had clearly just phased through. She looked around his room briefly, making a face at the mess.

"H-Hey, Raven," he stammered out, inwardly grimacing at the sound of his voice. He scratched the back of his neck nervously, and the two Titans stood in an awkward silence for a good moment or so, before Raven forced the question out of her mouth.

"Why did you ask me out?"

Beast Boy cringed at the bluntness of the question. Raven's expression and voice as emotionless as always. She was _impossible _to read. And it probably didn't help that Beast Boy was never good at reading people in the first place.

"Raven, I'm sorry, can we just forg..."

"Why did you ask me out?" She cut him off; clearly she wasn't leaving without an answer.

Beast Boy sighed, his shoulders slumping, and he fixated his eyes on the ground. "I, well, I...I don't know what this is, Raven, but I just..." He tripped over his words, not sure what to say, before, feeling his cheeks heat up as he did, finally saying, "I like you, all right? I can't explain it, but I do. And I just...I don't know if I really expected you to say yes, but I thought we could just sort of...see where it went, you know?"

There was the longest silence, Raven studying the changeling carefully whilst his eyes remained glued to the ground. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest and he could hear every breath she took, it was that quiet. Then...

"Where did you have in mind?"

* * *

Free hugs for all who review.


	7. Accept

So, I finished my last piece of assessment for this term today, excluding the ones I have over the holidays, and it means I have one more day of school left before my two week mid-semester break. Words cannot explain how good it felt to get home and not have to immediately get stuck into studying for something or another. And so, I celebrate, by writing you a chapter. That's great for you too, isn't it?

**Review Replies**

Xealvi: Talking - you'd be surprised how useful it can be sometimes. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Kyrotec: I'm very glad you're enjoying the story so far, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Edgar H. Sutter: Trigon finding out about this would certainly be very...interesting, I must agree. I don't think I'll put it into the story though. I have no plans for it yet. That said, my stories tend to write themselves sometimes.

FrivolousFlare: I'm so glad you liked the chapter. Your review made me smile. Thank you!

titanfan123: I'm continuing! Thanks for reviewing. Even short ones make me happy.

Infinity Comes To A End: Oh, here's your hug! *Hugs* Enjoy the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: **If I owned _Teen Titans_, BBRae would be official. **  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Accept**

Beast Boy's jaw dropped slightly, and he stared wide-eyed at the purple-haired empath in front of him, whose face remained as emotionless as it always was. "Wha...?"

"Where did you have in mind?" Raven repeated, her voice as emotionless as her face. Beast Boy had never been too annoyed by her lack of visible emotion before, but now he it was driving him insane. He could hardly read people normally; how on earth was he supposed to read the Queen of No Emotion?

"I-Is that a yes?"

"Did I say yes?"

"Well, no, but..."

"So where did you have in mind?" Raven's tone was slightly more exasperated this time; how many times would she have to ask the same question to actually get a proper response? The answer: Three.

"Well, I originally thought maybe a movie...but I don't think you'd enjoy the same movies I do..." Raven was mildly impressed that Beast Boy had had enough emotional intelligence to figure that out. "...So maybe we could just, I dunno, go out for pizza or something?"

Raven raised her eyebrows. "Pizza?" she repeated. Pizza night wasn't all that uncommon at the Titan's Tower, really.

"W-Well, maybe not pizza!" Beast Boy said quickly. "Maybe...Um...Waffles?"

Raven raised her eyebrows again, not giving anything away with her expression. "Waffles?" she repeated.

Beast Boy paused, studying her expression, and, of course, being unsuccessful in managing to read the girl at all. "Yeah; waffles."

There was a moment of complete silence, violet eyes meeting green and locking on each other, studying the other's expressions. Her eyes seemed to almost see into his soul – and with her power, that wasn't so unlikely – whilst his showed clearly the thoughts that were running through his mind. _Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes..._

"Lunch, tomorrow, one o'clock." She stated the words calmly, and immediately turned and phased back through the wall the moment they were out. But, she couldn't resist leaning against the wall and listening, hearing the clearly shocked Beast Boy sitting in complete silence for a moment, before exclaiming, "WHOOP!" and leaping into the air in joy. And even the emotionless empath couldn't stop a ghost of a smile from appearing on her lips as she walked back into her own room.

TT

Beast Boy was literally whistling when he walked into the common room the following morning. As usual, he was the last one awake, though he did wake up significantly earlier than he normally did. The other four Titans were in the common room when he arrived; Cyborg sitting in front of the TV, video game up on the screen (surprise, surprise), Starfire and Robin sitting on the end of the couch talking (and clearly not minding at all that Cyborg also being on the couch meant that they had to sit extra close together, and Raven was sitting in the corner, reading. Normally she'd ignore Beast Boy's existence when he entered the room on a morning, but this time she did glance up at him, although only for a second, before her eyes returned to the book.

"Yo, BB!" greeted Cyborg, not taking his eyes off the screen. "What's got you so happy?"

Beast Boy glanced towards the purple-haired empath, unsure of how open she wished to be about the date. After all, it was just one date, and it might not even mean anything in the end. They could realise that they're not compatible, and return to their normal lives. Or, maybe they'd end up discovering that they were far more compatible than they had originally thought, and their friendship could grow into something more. But for now, at least until he talked to her about it, Beast Boy decided to keep the whole thing quiet. "Oh, nothing much," he replied in a sing-song voice.

From the couch, Robin glanced at the green changeling, and then looked over his shoulder at Raven. Feeling eyes on her, Raven looked up and her eyes met his mask. He gave her a questioning look, and she merely raised her eyebrows, allowing her lips to twitch into a slight smirk before her eyes returned to her book. And Robin smiled slightly before he turned back to Starfire. He knew his team, and he knew Raven. This, he thought, would be interesting.

TT

Beast Boy glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table. It read 11:37 AM. This was quite possibly the earliest he had ever decided to get ready for everything. Beast Boy wasn't worried about appearance, and besides, if he wanted, he could always just shift into the form of an animal, if he was _that _worried about it. Usually, Beast Boy was the type of guy who either spontaneously decides to do something, and take a grand total of two minutes putting on his clothes, and _voila_, he was ready, or who plans ahead or listens to his team mates plan ahead so he knows when something is happening, and _then _wait until his team mates are yelling at him to get a move on before taking two minutes to put on some clothes and leave. But this...this was different. The only problem was, Beast Boy didn't know _how _different. Would Raven get at all dressed up for it? She wasn't really the type of girl to dress up for anything, was she? But...well, the concept of "dating" usually involved taking extra care with appearances. Would it seem rude if he just wore another outfit? It was just one date, and knowing Raven, she'd probably treat it as a friends', or maybe even just teammates' thing. And then what if anything happened? They'd need to be in their uniforms, because they wouldn't have time to go back and change...

This was the dilemma that Beast Boy was facing. To dress up or not to dress up – that was the question. He ruled out the idea of wearing anything that could be described as "formal" immediately. Raven wouldn't dress up formally, and he wasn't interested in wearing something like a suit. Looking through his piled of clothes that lay on the floor just outside of his wardrobe; he quickly discovered that he didn't own much else. He pulled out an outfit identical to the one he always wore; only this one was fresh and clean, having not been worn since the last time it had been washed. He even went to the effort of actually ironing it (and Cyborg gave him a very, very confused look when he walked past the laundry to find the green changeling ironing his clothes), so he would look like he had gone to a little bit of effort. He stood in front of his mirror, and slicked his hair back with a wet comb, before cringing at how stupid he was and quickly running his hand through his hair to return it to its usual, untidy style. He looked just as he would on any normal day, but maybe, he thought, that was better. Beast Boy didn't know a lot, and he didn't know where this was headed, but what he did know was that, right then, he really, really liked Raven and he kind of wanted to think that this wouldn't be the only time that they'd go out like this.

He glanced at his clock again – 11:51 AM. It had taken him an entire fourteen minutes to get ready; how unlike Beast Boy that was. He looked over his appearance in the mirror again briefly, before slipping out of his room, and heading towards the door. He and Raven had agreed to meet outside to avoid suspicion. If this, whatever _this _was, didn't work out, they decided they'd both rather it just be forgotten about completely, and so they didn't want to draw any of the other Titan's attention to the fact that they were going out, together, on a date. The emotionless empath and the hilarious (according to himself) changeling – who would have thought?

Even though he was out early, Beast Boy wasn't surprised to find Raven even earlier, leaning against the wall and looking off into the distance. He was rather relieved to find that she hadn't gone to great lengths when it came to her appearance either, and she was only wearing her usual outfit as well, complete with her blue cape. The hood was off, which Beast Boy was thankful for. He could probably read her a _little _bit better when he could actually see her face than when it was shaded by her hood. He stood at the door for a moment, trying to decide on what words to use, before he spoke up. "Shall we?"

Raven wasn't at all startled; it wasn't surprising that she knew he was there. She looked over at him, and nodded her head. "Let's go."

Beast Boy paused for another brief moment, before, in an attempt to be gentlemanly, he offered his arm. Raven raised her eyebrows at him, but didn't link arms with him, and so he quickly lowered his arm and scratched the back of his neck nervously. Raven rolled her eyes, but, as she turned away, she felt a slight smirk play at her lips before she began to walk beside him into the city.

* * *

I'm not going to order you to review. But it would make me happy.


	8. The First Date

I'm sorry, please don't hate me. Actually, you've got legitimate reason to hate me - how many _months _has it been? I'm so sorry. I have had reason, though. In my defence, exam period had me stressed to the max and I literally couldn't write. Normally I can sit down and finish a chapter in one sitting. This one took _three_. I'm so sorry; I really can't say that enough. I'm on holidays until February, so I will try my best to not leave you like that any more. Again, I'm so sorry.

**Review Replies**

Edgar H. Sutter: I think I owe you an extraordinarily enormous thank you for putting up with me. I promised you this chapter _ages _ago and I'm only just giving it to you. Thank you for your review and for putting up with me and for you idea on the Waffle House. Just thank you, so much.

ChicInGlitter: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sorry it took me so long to update.

FrivolousFlare: I knew you'd approve of the Shakespeare quote. Thanks for the review; I smiled.

lamia-amo: I'm so sorry for not updating 'soon'. Here it is, though. Please don't hate me.

To-the-max: I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you.

Xealvi: A very nervous Beast Boy thanks you for your best wishes for his date.

The Cretin: Thank you, very much, for your review. I'm very glad you've enjoyed this story.

TwilightPrncss: I'm glad you think so. Thank you, and again, my apologies for not updating very quickly.

Infinity Comes to An End: I probably deserve to be slapped with a bag of Swedish fish right now. I will accept my fate.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Teen Titans_. If I did, you'd probably never see it because of how long it takes me to update.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**The First Date**

"Hey Robin, do you know where BB's headed off to?" Cyborg glanced towards the front door that Beast Boy had just exited out off, only tearing his eyes away from the television screen for a matter of seconds before the video game caught his attention again. He looked at Robin out of the corner of his eye briefly as he waited for a reaction. Robin glanced at Starfire, who did not yet know what he had figured out – though he would certainly tell her later, because he had already confided in her earlier – and then looked back to Cyborg.

"No idea."

TT

The walk into the city was spent mostly in silence, which was kind of a big deal because this was _Beast Boy_, and since when did Beast Boy actually shut up? He just didn't know what so say. It wasn't like he couldn't think of anything to say – quite the opposite actually, as running through his mind was anything from small talk about the weather or the interestingly shaped sign they just passed, to one of his ridiculously unfunny jokes – but his issue was that he sort of wanted to impress Raven. Or, at least, not annoy her or make her hate him even more than it often appeared she did. Occasionally he made a small comment – "I hope we're not interrupted by any villains today." "Have you ever been to the Waffle House before?" "Oh, look, a bird!" – but otherwise it was mostly in silence. It wasn't like Raven was putting in effort to actually keep a conversation going, anyway. He wondered if she felt the silence was as awkward as he felt it was. He was beyond grateful when the two finally reached the Waffle House.

Attempting to impress the unimpressible empath, Beast Boy put on his best gentleman persona, politely holding the door when they arrived, pulling out her seat, and telling her that she could choose whatever she wanted from the menu – he would pay. But at this point, Raven sighed. "Stop it."

The green changeling raised one eyebrow, a faint frown coming across his features. "Stop what?"

"Stop pretending to be a gentleman." When Beast Boy opened his mouth to reply, Raven held up a hand. "I of all know people know that this is not you. It's so forced and it _hurts _to be around you."

The changeling opened and closed his mouth wordlessly a few times. "I'm...sorry?"

Raven sighed, looking away. Beast Boy tried desperately to read her expression, but he couldn't. The silence was painful, even though there was the surrounding sound of innocent chatter and the tap of cutlery on plates. After the longest moment, Raven let out another sigh. "I don't know what we're doing, Beast Boy. I don't know what _this _means -" she gestured between herself and the changeling "– and I don't know what is going to happen. But if I'm going to "go out" with you, even if it's just as friends, can I please go out with _you _and not someone you pretend to be?"

Beast Boy's expression didn't change, and neither did Raven's, but the changeling's mood brightened, just a little. Maybe she didn't intend it to be one, but that was quite possibly the biggest compliment Raven had ever given to him. Because she had just said that she'd rather be with him than someone he pretended to be, suggesting that she didn't _hate_ him; not really. "I can be me."

"Good." And to his surprise, Raven's lips twitched upwards into the faintest – so slight it was hardly there – smile. "Although, if your offer still stands of paying, I'll have the blueberry waffles."

A grin grew across Beast Boy's face.

TT

Less worried about impressing Raven and more worried about being himself (hoping that Raven would like him for that), the rest of the lunch was much less silent than the walk into the city had been. Granted, Beast Boy was the one doing most the talking, but hey, he was enjoying himself. He wasn't sure what Raven's opinion on it was, but he was hopeful. He went on and on and on about something funny he and Cyborg did, or the latest joke he had heard, and so on and so forth. Very little appeared to get a reaction out of her, but when he did make a joke about Starfire and Robin's relationship (that is, how clueless the two were about it), he did see a slightly amused expression come across her face. He also noticed, trying to be very attentive in reading her emotions, that when their food arrived and she took a bite, a very subtle expression of contentment came across her face. He made a mental note to buy her waffles more often.

On a normal day, Beast Boy probably would have all but breathed in his waffles, finishing them in a matter of seconds. But he chose not to do that today, not so much to impress Raven, but so he didn't finish too quickly – the empath, after all, was taking small bites and using cutlery and all. He still finished before she did, but only by a few moments. Beast Boy paid, and the two stepped out of the Waffle House. Raven and Beast Boy exchanged glances, and then the two began to walk back towards the tower. The walk, like the walk there, was spent in complete and utter silence. But there was something different about it. Beast Boy couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the silence wasn't as awkward. Granted, it wasn't quite a comfortable silence, but it was undoubtedly better than the walk there. Soon enough, they were standing outside of the Titans Tower. The two turned to face each other.

"If we enter together the others will get suspicious," said Raven. "I'm going to go up to meditate on the roof, anyway."

Beast Boy nodded his head, and after a brief pause, he said, a little uncertainly, "Do you think we could do this again sometime?"

Raven's face was emotionless, as always. But, for a split second, he thought he might have seen her smirk. "I might consider it."

And then she was gone.

* * *

Again, I'm so, so, so, so, _so _sorry that it took me so darned long to update. I will try my best to write more these holidays. Please forgive me.


	9. After

Can it be? Is Angel actually updatingin less than a month? Yes, my friends, I figured I owed you this because of how long you had to wait for the last chapter, and those of you who reviewed gave me such lovely messages that I couldn't resist writing this quickly. You can thank me for it with a review, yes?

**Review Replies**

Edgar H. Sutter: Your review made me smile, a lot. It was very sweet and I very much appreciate it. I'm so glad you're enjoying this.

FlamingIceWolfGirl: I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for reviewing!

TwilightPrncss: "Cute" was exactly what I was going for. Thank you very much! :)

FrivolousFlare: Oh, I couldn't just have Cyborg suddenly disappear. I'm enjoying leaving him out of the loop far too much. Thank you for your forgiveness on the late update, and thank you even more for the review itself.

**Disclaimer**: I do not, have not, and will not own _Teen Titans_.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**After**

Walking into the Titan's Tower, a part of Beast Boy's brain told him that perhaps he should be subtle to avoid arousing suspicion from the other Titans (and by 'other Titans', he means Cyborg, of course), but that part of his brain was easily drowned out by the part that was celebrating because _I went on a date with Raven, and she doesn't seem to hate me! _He couldn't stop a large grin from growing on his face as he walked in, and though he tried his best not to look at them, he was easily noticed by the three Titans in the living room.

"BB!" Cyborg greeted, pausing the video game so that he could raise a hand in greeting. His words quickly drew the attention of Robin and Starfire, who had previously been engrossed in conversation. A knowing look came upon the former's face as Cyborg asked, "Where've you been?"

One date was not a reason to tell the other Titans yet, he knew, because it could just make things awkward, and if he knew anything about Raven, it was that she didn't like attention on this kind of matter. Or, at least, he assumed she wouldn't like attention. Either way, he wasn't taking chances, yet. But he could still tell a half-truth. "Waffle House."

Cyborg's jaw dropped. "How could you go to the Waffle House without _me_?" Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Starfire's eyes lit up.

"Beast Boy!" she exclaimed. "You were doing the d-" She was abruptly cut off as Robin slammed a hand over her mouth, silently warning her to not say anything. When he removed his hand, she said, "I mean you were doing the eating of the waffles. If you would please excuse me I have to go do the...something in the...somewhere else." Without another word, she darted off, receiving a very confused and somewhat suspicious look from Cyborg. "Why do I get the feeling she's hiding something?"

When his comment was met by a sheepish laugh from the green changeling as he somewhat nervously scratched the back of his neck, Cyborg's brow furrowed again. "Why do I get the feeling _you're _not telling me something?"

Beast Boy laughed sheepishly again, and then darted off in the direction of his room as fast as he could manage. Cyborg raised his eyebrows and then looked at Robin. "Do _you _know what this is about?"

Robin pursed his lips to stop them from creeping up into a smile. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough," he said, and then joined Starfire and Beast Boy in their sudden disappearing from the room. Cyborg stared at the door.

"I DON'T LIKE BEING LEFT IN THE DARK!"

TT

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion..."

"Raven?"

Raven opened one eye, and then the other, at the sound of Starfire's voice, surprisingly soft compared to how the bubbly alien usually spoke, coming up behind her. She lowered herself onto the roof, staring off into the distance. _This better not be about what I think it is... _"Yes, Starfire?"

"I was hoping we could do the talking of the girls."

_Yep. It is. _

Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Did Beast Boy tell you?"

"No, he did not tell anyone. I think that he was trying to keep it a secret.

_Beast Boy has half a brain. What do you know? _

Letting out a slight sigh, the purple-haired empath stood and turned around to face Starfire. Before she had the chance to even open her mouth, Starfire spoke, her usual happy and bubbly personality back immediately.

"What was it like? Did you have a lot of fun? Do you like him? Will you be doing the dating again? What did you do? What did you eat? Did you..."

"Starfire."

Raven's almost cold tone told the alien to close her mouth immediately, cutting off whatever sentence she was about to say. "You...do not want to do the talking of the girls?" she asked, and Raven shook her head. Starfire's expression fell.

"Okay," she said, but after a brief pause, she added, "Perhaps we can have the talk on a later date when you are not keeping the secret." She giggled in response to Raven's expression, and then skipped merrily down the stairs. Raven watched her go, before she returned to floating cross-legged above the tower.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

TT

Dinner that night was...interesting, to say the least. On the surface, it wasn't anything at all different to any other dinner at the tower. Cyborg cooked, Beast Boy complained that there was too much meat, Starfire offered to cook him a vegetarian meal (which was quickly met by a "No!" from everyone), Beast Boy cracked jokes, the Titans talked about everything and anything, and at a glance, you wouldn't think that it was anything out of the ordinary. But if you looked closely, you might notice the way that Beast Boy was, surprisingly subtly, sneaking glances at Raven when she wasn't looking, or the way that Raven's expression, even though she wasn't smiling, looked just slightly, slightly brighter than it usually did, or the way that Cyborg was looking suspiciously at Beast Boy the entire time (and not being particularly subtle about that, either). Towards the end of the meal, when he had decided that Beast Boy was relaxed enough, he decided to speak up.

"So, BB, did anything interesting happen at the Waffle House today?"

Eyes fixated on the changeling, he didn't notice the way Raven glanced at him with a frown on her face – how much did Cyborg know, exactly? Her expression turned to that of relief at Beast Boy's answer.

"Oh, you know; nothing out of the ordinary. The food was fine, the place was rather busy, but I had a great time." He had enough self-control to not glance at Raven at that point – Cyborg was suspicious enough as it was. And that was obvious – Cyborg was still eyeing him carefully, studying his every move as if something as insignificant as a blink of his eyes would provide the answer to this thing that everyone knew that he did not.

"You did look awfully cheerful when you came back..." he said, eyes narrow as he stared at Beast Boy, who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Good food is enough to make anyone happy."

"Hmm." Cyborg put the last mouthful of his meal in his mouth, eyeing Beast Boy for several seconds as he chewed, before swallowing, sighing, and leaning back on his chair. "Whatever you say."

Beast Boy just smiled.

TT

Raven was the last thing on the green changeling's mind as he went to bed that night. She had said she would consider it, and though that wasn't a definite yes, he was hopeful. Although it had been awkward to start off with, spending time with her like they had that day was really nice. It wasn't like anything he'd ever experienced before, it wasn't like any feeling he ever got when he was with anyone else...it was just nice. That was the only way he could explain it. He knew that if he wanted to go out with her again (and yes, he did, he really, really did), he'd have to think up another great idea for a date. On movies he had watched, it was always dinner and a movie, or perhaps a long stroll along the beach, but this was Raven. She wasn't like every other girl. A "normal" date idea probably wouldn't work for her.

What did Raven like? She liked reading; that was for sure. And waffles, but they couldn't do that again. What else did she like? Well...depressing, creepy areas and being alone. And that really wasn't something that would make for a good date. She liked pizza and tea, but would another "food date" really be the best option?

He fell asleep tossing all these things around in his mind, and it is true when people say that sometimes the best thing you can do when you have a dilemma is sleep on it. When he woke up, he had an idea.

* * *

So, this was sort of a filler-chapter today, but although boring, they're kind of necessary. Hope you liked it. Reviews are appreciated.


	10. The Second Date

Hello all! This chapter was actually a little later than I expected (I think I just have difficulties writing dates...) but by my standard of updates, I think we can say that this isn't too bad, right?

**Review Replies**

Edgar H. Sutter: Surprisingly enough, your guess for where they were going was correct. Hope you think I've done the idea justice. And thanks for the recommendation; I'll check it out when I have time. Enjoy!

FlamingIceWolfGirl: Clueless Cyborg is hilarious and I much enjoy writing him. No Clueless Cyborg in this chapter, though. :( Enjoy!

Eragon Namikaze: I'm glad you liked it. And thanks for the "could have been deeper" comment; I'll certainly work on that. Enjoy!

TwilightPrncss: I'm glad I can make you smile. :)

EbonyVergil: I'm very glad you're enjoying this. Cyborg is very amusing for me too. Enjoy!

Xealvi: Well, I can't keep him in the dark forever, can I? (As much as I'd like to...)

**Disclaimer:** . Unbelievable, right?

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**The Second Date**

Beast Boy was hardly seen at all the next day. As usual, he slept in late, not dragging himself out of his room until at least midday – long after the rest of the Titans had awoken. After he had made himself breakfast, he went out, simply saying that he had "stuff to do", and not returning for several hours. Robin at first concluded that he was out with Raven again, but perhaps an hour after Beast Boy had left, Robin ran into Raven herself, who admitted that she hadn't the faintest clue where Beast Boy was or what he was doing. It was some time after six o'clock that Beast Boy returned, shrugging off any questions from Robin, or any of the other Titans, pertaining to his whereabouts during the day, and then he disappeared to his room, only emerging once for dinner before he went off again. This certainly didn't help Cyborg's suspicion, but he was at least comforted by the fact that none of the other Titans seemed to know what was going on either.

Raven awoke the following morning to a knock at her door, and when she opened it she found not one of the Titans, but a cup of herbal tea (which, to her surprise, was actually rather nicely made), and a note written in a messy scrawl that she recognised immediately.

_Meet me outside at two o'clock. I'll be myself this time, I promise. – Beast Boy_

Raven raised an eyebrow at the note, and took another sip of herbal tea, taking it back into her bedroom.

TT

Come two o'clock, Beast Boy was waiting patiently outside of the door of Titan's Tower, wishing he wore a watch so that he would know what time it was and so he could stop freaking out about the fact that Raven wasn't there. He hadn't asked her in person and therefore had not got a definite "yes", and in hindsight he thought he probably should have done that, because it would be ridiculously awkward if she didn't turn up. It was difficult for him to hide his relief when the empath emerged from the tower. Neither of them dressed up, again, but Beast Boy was glad. They obviously weren't to that point yet (and Raven didn't strike him as the dressy type), and it meant that they _both _didn't dress up and thus neither of them was left feeling uncomfortable in their choice of outfit.

"Where are we going?" Raven asked, the question naturally being the first thing to come out of her mouth. Raven was always straight to the point, after all. Beast Boy merely smiled. "You'll see."

The walk into the city that time was not, surprisingly enough, spent in silence. It wasn't like the two were lost in a conversation and didn't shut up at several points but, not worried about saying the wrong thing and only wanting to be himself; Beast Boy said the things that he normally would. And Raven would respond, too, usually with something witty and sarcastic like she usually did. Beast Boy didn't care. They were talking, and it was far, far less awkward than the last time they went out like this. The walk didn't feel nearly as long as it did last time.

"We're here." Beast Boy broke the comfortable silence that the two had sunk into, stopping outside a door. Raven looked up at the sign above the door, and she couldn't stop the expression of surprise from coming across her face or out of her voice as she said, "A bookstore?" Beast Boy grinned at her, and she continued, "But you hate books."

"Yep, but you like them, and there are comic books in this one." Raven opened her mouth, but Beast Boy cut her off, reaching into the pocket of his suit. "Besides, this needs to be used." He handed her a small card, and she looked at it, her eyebrows, if possible, shooting up even higher. In her hand she held a gift card for this bookshop, with enough money on it for one book. She looked back at Beast Boy, and he couldn't help but notice that she was almost speechless.

"We have the whole afternoon," said Beast Boy, smiling. "So you're welcome to sit and read for as long as you like."

TT

Beast Boy had searched for hours the day before to find the perfect bookshop for this date and even Raven would agree (not that she'd openly admit it) that he found the perfect one. There were shelves and shelves of books, from nonfiction to fiction, recipe books to fantasy stories of princes and dragons. In one part of the room, there were tables and cushioned chairs to sit on so people could read for a little while before making any purchases. And adjoining the bookshop was a small cafe that made (surprise, surprise) herbal tea. The two Titans sat at one of the table, Raven with her nose in a large book and a hot cup of herbal tea in front of her, and Beast Boy sat across with her with a comic book. His eyes, however, were not on the comic book, but subtly looking over the edge, at Raven, watching her.

_She's beautiful._

The thought surprised him; it just appeared in his mind suddenly. It wasn't something that he had really thought about before. She wasn't pretty in the way that people like Starfire were, how Starfire would just turn heads when she walked into a room and everyone would agree that she was stunning. Raven wasn't like that. But, as he watched the way her eyes lit up and the faintest of smiles came across her face as she reached a good part in her book, he realised that, no, she wasn't pretty like Starfire. She was beautiful. There was no other word for it.

TT

Raven ended up buying the book she had been reading in the bookstore, despite the fact that she had ended up finishing it whilst she was there. She had pretty much fallen in love with it and she had easily decided that she wished to read it over again.

Surprisingly enough, she was the one who did most of the talking on the way back. Beast Boy asked her about the book, and what it was about, and this was a topic she could discuss easily. And Beast Boy couldn't care less that she was the one talking whilst he listened. She didn't talk like this very much, and it was nice to hear it. And, Beast Boy realised, he sort of really liked the sound of her voice.

There was no "Could we do this again sometime?" conversation when they arrived at the tower once more, as the sun began to set. The two exchanged glances, and Beast Boy just knew, as she flew to the roof and he headed inside, that that wasn't going to be their last.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it. Also, Merry Belated Christmas. Hope you all had good ones. :)


	11. Dating

Hi guys! How are you all? Aren't you just loving how I'm not leaving this story long enough for you to all be driven insane? This chapter is really short; the shortest so far, and it's sort of filler-y, but it's important and I'm hoping you sort of like it.

**Review Replies**

Edgar H. Sutter: Beauté du Diable. I like that. It's very accurate. There is a step in their relationship this chapter, but no kisses yet. This is Raven. This kind of thing is taken _slow_. I haven't read your story yet, but I will get to it, don't worry. Thanks for reviewing!

wolfhead: I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

Fire-wolf 18: I shall take a look at your story sometime; thank you for the recommendation. :)

ineedname: Cyborg shan't be clueless for too much longer. As fun as clueless Cyborg is. I'm glad you're enjoying this.

FlamingIceWolfGirl: You've had a date like that? Aww, that's adorable! That would be such a lovely date. (Of course it would, that's why I wrote it!) Thank you for reviewing!

Missme02: Thank you for the review! And for the comment about the location of the tower; I can't believe nobody else realised that! Oops. Let's just say they'd fly over to land and then walk, shall we? Thanks for telling me!

Can I just say a huge thank you to all my reviewers? You're all lovely and wonderful and I love hearing from you. Here, virtual hugs for you all!

**Disclaimer: **No _Teen Titans _ownage for me.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Dating**

In the weeks that followed, Beast Boy and Raven continued to go out; not every day but rather often. Beast Boy wasn't the only one deciding on the dates, either. After their third date, Raven started putting in options for what they could do, and so it ended up with Raven choosing every second date as they went out. Yes, that meant that sometimes Beast Boy ended up at a museum or at a gothic poetry reading, which may not have been the most enjoyable thing to do normally, but he was with Raven, and every day he was enjoying her company more and more. Really, he just enjoyed being with her, in the simplest ways. Even the times where their dates merely consisted of going up onto the roof because they were too tired to head into town, and watching the sunset, talking for hours, was absolutely lovely. In fact, Beast Boy would say that their 'watch the sunset from the roof' date was probably one of his favourite dates overall. It was the first time he had seen Raven properly smile. Not just one of her faint ghosts of a smile that crossed her face for a fleeting second, but an actual, sincere smile. And the reason for that smile? It was the first time he had called her beautiful.

This date was also the date where Cyborg caught them. At least they had gotten through a whole eight dates without Cyborg finding out.

"_We're sort of...official now, aren't we?" Beast Boy murmured, glancing at Raven out of the corner of his eye. The empath was gazing out to the setting sun, and Beast Boy noted the way that the light made her dark eyes sparkle slightly. She glanced over at him briefly, smiling faintly._

_ "If you're into labels," she answered, and Beast Boy watched her for a moment, working out the best way to respond._

_ "So, if I _was _into labels..." he began slowly. "I might be able to call you my girlfriend?" _

_ She'd not admit that her faint smile brightened slightly at that, but Beast Boy saw it. He had become a lot more attentive to her subtle emotions ever since they had started going out._

_ "I suppose you could do that." _

_ And then there was an almost comical gasp from behind them and both recognised the source of said gasp immediately._

Naturally, Cyborg did not let them just drop the topic or lie their way out of it, but, to Beast Boy's surprise, Raven had spoken up and told Cyborg quite simply that they were dating and had been for a while now. Beast Boy had expected her to be more secretive on the matter, but he realised that her blunt tone had left Cyborg speechless, and therefore he was not teasing either of them about it. The half-robot just stared dumbly at the two, mouth open, and as Raven began to walk away she paused and turned around, just to say to him, "Oh, and Robin and Starfire already know."

She'd never admit how amused she was by the way his jaw dropped even lower.

From then on, the two didn't even bother to keep their dates a secret. Cyborg did sing the "Beast Boy and Raven sitting in a tree" song once to Beast Boy, but it didn't get a reaction out of him, so he quickly gave up. The two would leave the tower together, and come back together, and the other Titans quickly found this to be a regular occurrence. It was strange, how quickly it became natural to them, after Cyborg found out and they stopped hiding it. It was almost like there had always been something between the two, and they just hadn't done anything about it until now.

It was about their eleventh date – about three weeks after their first – that there was a step forward in their relationship. It was only slight, and some people might have found it so slight and insignificant in any other relationship that they just ignored it, but for them, this was huge and it made Beast Boy's stomach back flip. The two had decided that, due to the fact that the weather was absolutely lovely, they'd just spend the day taking a walk through the park. They were just walking and talking (Raven had certainly begun to open up and talk to him more) when Raven's hand had brushed against his. One glance at her and he knew it was accidental, but he decided to take a chance, and so, very hesitantly, he gently took hold of her hand. A part of him expected her to pull away immediately, but there wasn't even a pause in their conversation. She laced her fingers through his, and they walked hand in hand for the rest of the day.

Beast Boy could feel himself falling for her more and more each day. It wasn't love (at least, not yet), but it was something. There was just so much more to her than she used to let on, so much he didn't see before they started just spending time together like this – just the two of them. She was strange and mysterious, and she hid so much of her true self that she was slowly beginning to show him, making him fall for her just that little bit more. He wondered if she felt the same way. He was sure she liked him at least a little, enough to be willing to go out with him and actually consider calling him her boyfriend (she hadn't said the word but she had said that he could consider her a girlfriend...) but were her feelings as strong as his were becoming? He hoped so. Only time would tell.

* * *

Yeah, like I said, short. But you don't hate it, right? Thanks for reading!


	12. In the Light of a Setting Sun

I'm here, I'm here! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up; I didn't know what I was going to write for it. But then I sat down and opened a Word document and it just sort of wrote itself. It's sort of short, but I think you'll like it.

**Review Replies**

Edgar H. Sutter: I love how you review so quickly after I post a chapter. It makes me feel special. And I love your reviews, too. I have no plans of putting "Daddy Four-Eyes" into this story, though, as I said, this chapter did write itself, so I guess anything could happen. Who knows.

Fire-wolf 18: Relationships are like flowers. That's pretty; I like it. They're beautiful like flowers too, if done right. Thank you very much for the review!

animefan0000012345: Here is more! Thank you for reviewing!

PenguinSmasher: It's nice to think that this story is good enough to be read in one sitting. I'm glad you like it.

Grayson Girl: Yay for Aussies! Thank you for reviewing; I'm glad you're enjoying it.

FlamingIceWolfGirl: I love how you review so quickly too, and your reviews never fail to make me smile. You're such a lovely person. I'm glad you're enjoying this!

FrivolousFlare: Flare! You're alive! I was beginning to question your existence. Thank you for reviewing; you make me smile. Enjoy!

BayHawk: Thank you for reviewing! Reviews make me very happy indeed. Hope you like this chapter!

BlueLion: Yes, there are such things as "gothic poems", in the same way that there is gothic literature. Which, as a piece of bonus information, I will be studying this year. Though you don't want to know that, do you? Thank you for reviewing!

TwilightPrncss: I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Random chick: I'm glad you think so. Enjoy!

Xealvi: I think the bookstore date is my favourite too, actually. It's a date I'd love to go on. Thank you for reviewing!

Eragon Namikaze: You might not remember, but what song were you listening to? I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I think you'll like this one too.

BioReck: You made a very good point in your review, but allow me to explain. Raven claimed to feel no attraction for him, that is true. But you'll notice, if you re-read that chapter, the end of that sentence is "or so she was telling herself." With her reluctance to show/feel emotions, and with what happened with Malchior, Raven is almost afraid of feeling that for someone else. The first date wasn't a pity date, though I can see how you'd see that. What I had meant to get across was that it was merely a "let's give this a try" date. Neither of them knew what would come of it, but she had realised that maybe, just maybe, she _might _feel something for him. I did a Raven point of view at the start of this chapter, so hopefully that makes more sense. Otherwise, thank you very much for the reviews!

EbonyVergil: Raven pregnant with Aqualad's child? Now that would be an interesting plot twist...Kidding, kidding. I do have something planned, though. You shall soon find out. Enjoy this chapter!

Phew, I think that's more reviews for one chapter than I've ever received before. Oh, on that note, I have an announcement. With over 9,000 hits, 38 favourites, and 64 alerts, this story is my most popular yet! This is a huge deal for me. And I'm six reviews short of it being my most reviewed, too. I have you all to thank for that. I love you guys!

And I do believe that's a long enough author's note. On with the story!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Teen Titans _or any of its characters.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**In the Light of a Setting Sun **

She was falling for him. If anyone had told her that this would happen when the team was first formed, when she had a firm belief that Beast Boy was an idiot, and also that he thought she was a freak and hated her, she would have never believed them. But yet, here they were, going out on actual dates, holding hands and talking to each other – and she was opening up to him, as well – and she liked it. And she knew that it wasn't just the dates that she liked, nor the fact that she had that feeling that yes, she was capable of being loved, but she liked _him_. She liked being with him. There was no other way to describe it.

She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't afraid of this feeling. For years she had hidden her emotions, suppressed them completely in order to not lose control of them and, in turn, her supernatural abilities. There was still a part of her that, even though she had learnt that she could feel this sort of emotion when she had with Malchior, felt the need to still suppress her emotions, but this feeling inside of her was growing stronger than that. It was stronger than what she had felt for Malchior. It was different, too, she realised during one of her meditations. Her feelings around Malchior were more the feeling of being loved, feelings of the feeling that he gave her. Her feelings around Beast Boy were feelings for him as a person.

She wondered if she had always felt something for Beast Boy, something hidden deep inside. Some sort of attraction or admiration, or even anything more than just the teammate friendship. She didn't think so. If she had, it must have been deep, deep, _deep _inside, but she was pretty sure that before she had only considered him a friend and a teammate. But that said, when they started going out, after the awkwardness of their first date, this feeling just seemed to develop so quickly and so naturally, it still made her question if it was always there, somehow.

TT

Once upon a time, if he wasn't playing video games with Cyborg or watching movies in the common room, the first place anyone would look for him would be his bedroom. Chances were he'd be sprawled out on his bed, amongst the mess that lay everything, sleeping. Not anymore. Now, if he wasn't out with Raven, the number one place to find him was up on the roof. Raven had really opened his eyes, made him begin to appreciate the small things in life that he'd overlook or take for granted. A nice cup of tea, the view of the sunset from the tower, the warmth of the sun or the gentle pattering of rain...all these things had always just been there, and he'd never given them a second glance. Raven taught him not to take things for granted. There was beauty to be found in everything.

So, one evening, when Raven decided to go find him, the first place she checked was the roof of the tower, and sure enough, there he sat, with legs dangling over the side and his eyes gazing off into the distance, lost in thought as the sun sunk below the horizon. The empath walked quietly over to him, and sat down by his side. Almost unconsciously, so naturally, he took hold of her hand, and they just sat there for a few minutes with their hands interlaced.

"What are you thinking about?" Raven was the one to break the comfortable silence, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. He did the same, green eyes meeting hers.

"Would it be cheesy if I said 'you'?"

"Yes."

"Well then I'm the cheesiest person on the planet."

She allowed herself a faint smile at that. Her smiles had become a lot more common since she had started dating him, too. They weren't massive grins, but they were beautiful and genuine, and he knew, which made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, that he was the cause of them.

"You look beautiful," he murmured softly, and he felt the warm and fuzzy feeling grow stronger as her pale grey cheeks took on a light pink tinge.

"You say that all the time."

"You look beautiful all the time," he countered immediately, half-smirking at her. She rolled her eyes, but there was no denying the fact that she was smiling.

Beast Boy made her feel beautiful. He made her feel special, and he made her feel important. But above all, he made her feel loved. He made her feel loved, and he made her feel the same feeling for him. She tilted her head slightly, and rested it against his shoulder. She'd have never believed that one day she'd be acting like this, acting like a normal teenage girl would do with a boyfriend, but she was, and she liked it. The Titans had all pretty much given up their lives as normal teenagers so that they could keep Jump City safe from villains; go out and save the world. None of them would ever give that up for the world. But Raven knew that all of them, sometimes, would just long to be a normal teenager. To go to school and complain about homework, to hang out with friends, to argue with parents and to, of course, develop a crush on someone. These kinds of things had never really come to Raven's mind as something she had wanted before – as a part-demon, she had always known that she would never live a normal life, in the same way that none of them would because they had superpowers – but acting this way with Beast Boy, spending time being a normal couple, made her realise that it was nice. It was something she wanted. It was something she had. And it was something that, in between saving the world, fighting off bad guys, and meditating to keep her emotions in check, made her feel normal. Despite the fact that she was a demon, it made her feel human.

They sat like that for a long time, gazing off into the fiery red sunset, hands entwined and her head rested on his shoulder. Both of them had small, subtle, but sincere smiles on their faces, just because they were there together and it was beautiful.

"Who would have known?" Raven murmured to herself, and Beast Boy's smile grew just that little bit wider, because he knew exactly what she was saying. Who would have known that they'd be together? And above that, who would have known that they'd be the first two to get together, even when Starfire and Robin were clearly head over heels for each other? Who would have known when the team first got together, that one day Raven and Beast Boy would be sitting in a position like this, gazing into the sunset like a normal couple would do, happy merely just to be together? No one would have guessed it. But that only made it all the more magical.

Just before the sun sunk below the horizon, whilst the city was bathed in a warm red glow and the sky was a pretty pink colour, Raven lifted her head from his shoulder and glanced at Beast Boy, who looked over at her. It would be terribly cheesy to say that the two gazed into each other's eyes, but that was exactly what they did, for a good few seconds.

"You are beautiful, Raven," he murmured softly, causing her to smile in a somewhat embarrassed but flattered kind of way. He smiled at her, and then, causing her cheeks to heat up just a little, she noticed the way his eyes flickered downwards, just for a second before they met her eyes again. She'd never admit the way that her stomach did a back-flip as he raised his hand, gently placing his palm against her slightly pink cheek.

It was impossible to say who made the first move, but the next thing they knew, the two of them were slowly leaning towards each other. They were both blushing, but both of them knew that this was right, the time was right and they were ready. And it wasn't perfect; they bumped noses and took a few seconds to get their positioning right, but then their lips met, eyes falling shut as they shared their first kiss.


	13. Confessions

****Guess what! On top of having the most hits, most favourites, and most alerts out of all my stories, _Moments like This _now also has the most reviews! Yay! *Confetti falls from the sky*

Seriously, though, I never expected _this_, for this stoyr. It was a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. The plot bunny itself, as a matter of fact, was the very end of this chapter/beginning of next. The rest I just wrote on the spot...or, more accurately, it seemed to write itself. I didn't expect it to end up this long (and still with more to go), and I definitely, definitely didn't expect it to be this popular. Thank you, guys.

**Review Replies**

FlamingIceWolfGirl: I'm glad you liked it. Your reviews always make me smile. Thank you. :)

EbonyVergil: I'm so glad you think so. There will actually be some sort of "struggle", as you put it, but the base of this story was their slowly developing relationship. And I'm glad you like that.

Edgar H. Sutter: Of course there is more! I wouldn't leave it at that, would I? When the story ends, you'll know, trust me. I have not yet read your story - having not seen _Oh My Goddess _I'm not sure how much sense it will make to me, but when I'm not juggling work, school, writing and sleep, I'll take a look.

boona: I'm glad you liked it. :)

Sunshine-Midnight123: I'm very happy that you thought so. Thank you.

TwilightPrncss: I thought so too, if I do say so myself. :P But seriously, thank you. Kissing scenes are something I've always struggled to write, just because...well, I have no experience. So thank you. :)

To-the-max: That was the idea! I'm glad you approve.

audreasacoolkid: Of course I'm continuing the story! As I said to Edgar, when the story ends, you'll know. That end is not yet. Thanks for reviewing!

Me: I appreciate the suggestion, and it has been taken into account. The base of the story was their relationship, but I do need some sort of climax, don't I? Don't worry. There will be conflict. You just see...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the _Teen Titans_.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Confessions **

After that day – the day that would forever be there in their minds as a memory to make them smile, and the kiss that both of them would silently agree was the most perfect first kiss they could have asked for – the two became a lot closer physically. They never went past kissing, of course, but their kisses weren't uncommon. They were just like a normal human couple. They'd greet each other with a kiss on the cheek or a small peck on the lips, and that's how they'd also say goodnight, and sometimes they'd just kiss to remind each other without words that they cared. But despite the fact that these kisses weren't rare, every time they occurred both of them still got the familiar, strangely pleasant sensation of butterflies in their stomachs, and every time they remembered that feeling, a secret smile would grow upon their faces.

Aside from the gentle kisses, the two would continue to just hold hands or sit close to one another, sometimes with Raven resting her head on Beast Boy's shoulder, or sometimes with Beast Boy's arm wrapped loosely around her. It seemed unnatural to the other Titans at first – that was a position they _never _imagined Raven in, and they felt the same when they saw them kiss too – but after a while they realised that it wasn't un-Raven-like at all. It wasn't that unnatural or strange. Raven was an empath, a part-demon, a super-powered being, a hero and a Titan, but she was also still a girl. Even though she had always worn a mask, always seemed so disconnected from her emotions and so different to any normal being, Raven was just a girl with feelings and emotions, and that desire to love and be loved that makes us human.

TT

Six months. He only realised it when he had been channel-surfing on the television, and had stumbled upon a news channel that announced the date. He and Raven had been officially dating for exactly six months. If they were a normal couple, Beast Boy knew he should be feeling incredibly guilty for forgetting their half-year anniversary and not making any special plans, but they weren't a normal couple, and Beast Boy knew that he should not feel guilty for two reasons. One: Raven did not like parties. She did not like celebrations of any sort. Raven did not strike him as one who would like any sort of anniversary party or celebration or anything particularly unusual, at least not for their six month anniversary. It might have been naive for him to think that they were going to go the distance at all, but he had a feeling that they'd make it past a year, and then he could get her some sort of present then. (Nonetheless, he did make a mental note to do something small, because six months was a pretty big deal.)

The other reason he wasn't feeling guilty for not planning anything special for their six-month anniversary was simple. He hadn't forgotten their anniversary because he had forgotten the date – on the contrary, he knew the date off the top of his head and he had realised this the second that he had heard the date on the television – but he had forgotten their anniversary because he had lost track of the date. The six months had flown by so much faster than he had expected. Being with Raven in this way was just so completely natural; it felt almost as if they had been doing it forever. It felt like so much more than just six months, even though he had known her for a good few years before that anyway. They just had something so special and incredible, unlike anything else.

In the six months that they had been dating, Robin and Starfire had finally gotten their acts together and gotten together too. The interesting thing about the two couples now existing in the tower was that they were so different. Robin and Starfire, for instance, hadn't gone on a first date first. Not an actual planned one, anyway. They had ended up alone in the tower, and then it had just happened, and they kissed. That was it. The start of their relationship was a kiss. And whilst there was absolutely nothing wrong with that, Beast Boy couldn't help but feel that what he had with Raven was just a little more sacred and special. There was a good couple of months lead up to their first kiss, making it, in his mind, even more amazing. It did not mean that what Starfire and Robin had was any less true than what Raven and Beast Boy had, and it certainly did not mean that their first kiss was any less special, but Beast Boy was secretly happy that his relationship with Raven had played out in the way that it did. It was slow, but it was strong.

He had to tell her. She had to know.

TT

Six months ago, had Beast Boy knocked on her door and interrupted her from her reading, Raven would have been beyond annoyed. If _anyone _had interrupted her from her reading, she would have been beyond annoyed. But Beast Boy was something special. Besides, she wasn't stupid. She knew what the date was. And, judging by the single red rose he held in his hand when he walked through the door, he did too.

"Hey," he greeted, punctuating the word with a peck on the cheek before he handed her the flower. "You know what today is, right?"

"I'm surprised you remembered, actually."

Beast Boy faked an over-exaggerated expression of offence. "Raven! How could you think so lowly of my memory? When has it ever let you down?" A raised eyebrow from the empath and he added, "Don't answer that," with a joking grin.

He glanced down at the book in her hands, eyes scanning over the blurb. Raven hadn't got him into reading (although she had tried), but he did naturally glance at the blurb of whatever book she had now and again, and just try to see what the main topic was of the book. She had told him about some of her favourites a few times. He noted that there were some interesting stories. They'd be way better in movie-form, though. "You're not up to a point of your book which you just can't put down, are you?"

Her lips twitched up into a faint smile. "That depends on what else I can do."

TT

They had lunch at the Waffle House, just like they did on their very first date. He paid, again, and she had the blueberry waffles, intentionally repeating the last time they had come. But that's where the similarities stopped. Unlike last time, there was no awkwardness. The silences that they lapsed into were occasional and comfortable, and otherwise the conversation flowed normally. Beast Boy wasn't pretending to be a gentleman that he was not (however, he was a little more polite, without thinking about it, since he had started going out with her), and Raven wasn't putting up an emotionless mask. It was just nice.

Lunch was followed by just a walk in the park – the weather was pleasant and neither of them had any complaints to walking hand-in-hand as they did, talking about everything and nothing. Sometime after five, they stopped at a café for a cup of tea, and then they went down to the beach.

Hand-in-hand, they walked along the sand, the sun low on the horizon casting a pretty red glow over them. They had lapsed into silence again – not at all an awkward one, but just a pleasant silence as they were both lost in thought. It was Beast Boy who interrupted it, sounding almost hesitant. "Raven?"

"Hmm?" She glanced over at him, raising her eyebrows slightly as she waited for his response. They slowed to a stop, and he turned to face her.

"I, um..." He hesitated, as if trying to find the right words. "When we...I mean, six months ago, when we went out for the first time...I don't think either of us expected this to come out of it. But it did. What we have...It's really special and it's stronger than anything I've ever felt before."

She wasn't speaking, but he knew that she was waiting for him to continue – was there a point to his somewhat disjointed speech? What was he talking about?

"And that's the thing. It's...It's not just like I've fallen for you and I like you a lot. That's...That doesn't explain it enough. And I think it's been like this for a while now, but I haven't had the courage to tell you."

Understanding was dawning on her face. He squeezed her hand gently, reaching up and brushing back behind her ear a lock of hair that the wind had blown forward. The sun was beginning to set below the horizon – sunset was his favourite time of day and he noticed how often these kind of things in their relationship happened around that time. The beach was bathed in a warm glow, and the sky was a faint pink colour. The sun glittered on the ocean, and the entire view of the beach was beautiful. But the true beauty there that evening was the girl who stood before him.

"Raven," he murmured. "I love you."


	14. Hurt

I know, I know, I owe you a thousand apologies for making you wait well over five months for this. As I mentioned in my author's note of my other W.I.P, however, I have a valid reason - I am a Year 12 student and I was not expecting and not prepared for the workload that last semester gave me. I'm not going to make promises with how quickly I can update, however I have worked out that, hypothetically, I should be able to do an hour of writing every day along with study and other commitments, so I will try. I've missed writing like this more than I realised, and it's always been a coping mechanism for me, so I'd rather not stop it again.

Anyway, a thousand apologies and to anyone who has stuck with me through my ridiculous hiatuses: Thank you and have a virtual hug and a tonne of virtual cookies.

**Review Replies**

MorWolfMor: I think you deserve two tonnes of virtual cookies as you've stuck with _both_ my W. and you still review every time. Thank you very much and I wish you lots of happiness.

Edgar H. Sutter: It's so exciting to think that my writing can affect people emotionally. I'm glad you like it.

Monstrous Mitsuko: Thank you so very, very much for your review! Constructive criticism is what I'm after (without it I might still be as awful a writer as I was four years ago), so I very much appreciate it and have taken your remarks in mind. Thank you!

Sunshine-Midnight123: I'm glad you liked it!

boona: Apologies for not updating as soon as I'm sure you would have liked. Thanks for reviewing.

Linzerj: Oh, yes, about time Robin and Starfire got together. Glad you're enjoying it.

Eragon Namikaze: I'm so glad you like it! Now, Raven's reaction... Well. You'll see.

FrivolousFlare: Oh, I'm so sorry this has taken me so long! I hope you're still hanging around and reading. I miss talking to you.

TwilightPrncss: I'm so glad you liked it.

Audresacoolkid: I imagine feeling like Starfire is a good thing. Sorry it took so long!

b: One of your theories on Raven's reaction was pretty damn close, let me tell you. Hope you like it.

Xealvi: Glad you like it!

The 5th Dragon Guardian: Thank you!

Harmonious Wolf: Thank you so much for your review! I'm so very glad you like it and you think I'm keeping them in character. Thank you!

Seriously, if any of you guys have actually stuck with me through my ridiculous hiatuses, thank you so much.

And now I have the chapter that I have had planned since the beginning. I won't give any spoilers away buuuuut...

**Disclaimer****: **I have not gained ownership of _Teen Tita__ns_ during my hiatus.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Hurt**

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Beast Boy was hardly aware that he was counting the seconds in his head, but he was, hearing the _tick, tick, tick _in the back of his mind as his stomach twisted into all sorts of knots. Six. Seven. Eight. Raven hadn't responded, and he was beginning to feel sick. The soft smile that had been on her face had faded – not to an expression of sadness or anger or any such negative emotion, but to an expression that Beast Boy was finding hard to read. It wasn't her usual, emotionless expression, but he didn't know what it was. It was like a mixture of shock and disbelief and there was something else, and he wasn't quite sure what that meant. Nine. Ten. Eleven.

"Raven?" He broke the silence hesitantly, the smile having faded from his own face. Why wasn't she answering him? What did that mean? Had he completely misjudged the situation? Yes, of course his feelings were sincere and of course he had meant it – he was in love with her and he had absolutely no doubts about that – but had he been terribly, terribly wrong to believe that they were at a point where he could tell her that? Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. His hand, which had been resting against her cheek after he had tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear, slowly slid down away from her skin until it hung limply by his side. Fifteen. Sixteen.

"Beast Boy." Her voice was soft, far softer than usual, and it wasn't her normal, nonchalant monotone. There was emotion behind it, Beast Boy was sure but, like with her expression, he couldn't for the life of him work out what it was. His heart felt as though it had leapt into his throat, blocking his airways and making it hard to breathe, and he felt as though he were going to be physically sick. He had screwed up, hadn't he? Oh boy, he had royally screwed up. He felt her hand slide out of his – not jerk suddenly out of his grip, but merely slip away until the touch no longer existed – and she took a couple of steps backwards, eyes remaining locked on his. He almost followed, almost reached out to her, but stopped himself in his tracks, staring at her. Her eyes were glistening, and that was such an unnatural thing to see in Raven, because it almost, _almost_ looked like tears. She seemed to open her mouth as if to speak, and then she swallowed thickly, pursed her lips shut, pushed off the ground and flew away.

Beast Boy watched her until she was nothing more than a distant speck, and then he was alone.

TT

The day that had previously been considered one of the best in his life was rapidly turning into one of the, if not the worst. He stood there by himself on the beach until after the sun had set below the horizon and the world had become engulfed by the darkness of night. No more than an hour earlier, he had been thinking of how the beach was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen, beauty only outshone by the beauty of his girlfriend (could he still call her that?), but now he could only see the place as desolate and empty and cold. After five or ten minutes he found himself sitting, feeling as though his legs were suddenly too weak to hold him up. He stared up at the sky, hoping and praying to see her return – even if she didn't love him like he did, she had felt _something _for him (_Right? _he found himself thinking), and he wouldn't lose her over this, would he? Even if she wouldn't come back to say the words he would long to hear from her, could she at least come back so that they could talk about this, whatever this was? But the night stretched on, growing darker and colder, and it was nearly an hour later when the changeling was forced to accept that Raven wasn't coming back.

He felt like a zombie, walking back up to the tower that night. His legs were moving of their own accord, but his mind was far away, and his heart was left in the sand where Raven had left him. He wondered if she were back at the tower already, having returned there before he did. He wasn't sure if she would want to see him or if she would have merely locked herself up in her room and disappeared into the world of her dreams or her books, but he found himself hoping that she was back there anyway. At least, if that were the case, he knew where she was, and there was some comfort to be found in that.

He found out that this was not the case the moment he stepped through the doors.

"Beast Boy," Robin greeted from the common room where he was sitting on the couch, Starfire resting her head on his lap, asleep. "I was wondering when you'd be getting back. There's some left over pizza in the- Hey, where's Raven?" Properly looking over at him and catching sight of Beast Boy's expression he asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

Beast Boy met his gaze for a fraction of a second, and then retreated to his room.

TT

"Beast Boy?"

It was Starfire who came knocking on the changeling's door, about an hour and a half after he had arrived home. Seeing the state of his teammate, Robin had woken his girlfriend up shortly after Beast Boy's return and had explained to her what he had seen. Initially, he had found himself worrying that something had happened to her, but Starfire was quick to assure him that it was not possibly the case. After all, if something physical had happened to Raven – if she and Beast Boy had been attacked and she had been injured, kidnapped or worse - Beast Boy would not have come home sulking but instead would have been out there rescuing her or calling the team for help. Robin had then realised that whatever had happened had to be emotion-related, and had come to the conclusion that they had had a falling out or had broken up. They had chosen to leave Beast Boy be for a while, to let him cool off or take his mind off it, but after an hour and a half of absolute silence from Beast Boy, both curiosity and concern for both of their friends got the better of them and they decided that they had to at least ask Beast Boy if he were okay. Robin had planned to go initially but then he had remembered what Beast Boy had been like after he had asked Raven out six months ago – he hadn't wanted to listen to a word the leader said. Perhaps Starfire would have more luck.

Not receiving a reply from Beast Boy, the alien girl leaned her head against the door, pressing her ear to it and knocking again. "Beast Boy, it is Starfire. May I come in?"

There was a long stretch of silence and Starfire was raising her hand to knock on the door again when it slid open suddenly, causing her to let out a yelp of surprise and stumble backwards to avoid falling through the open doorway. Beast Boy was standing there, looking smaller than usual – he wasn't holding himself with his usual confidence (or arrogance, as some might say), but instead his shoulders were sagged and there wasn't a trace of his quirky grin on his face. He met Starfire's eyes and, after a brief moment of silence, he sidestepped and allowed her to enter.

Starfire resisted the urge to grimace at the piles of dirty clothing that lay strewn around her friend's room, instead focussing on her teammate, another silence stretching between them as he moved to sit on his bed. Starfire opened her mouth to ask Beast Boy what had happened, but he got there first.

"I told Raven how I feel about her." He looked down at his hands, resting in his lap. He couldn't bring himself to look up at his friend. "And she... she just ran away."

Starfire hesitated, and then she moved over to sit gracefully on the edge of Beast Boy's bed, angling herself so that she was facing him. She tried to meet his eyes, even though he was trying to avoid her gaze. "What do you mean, how you feel about her?"

Beast Boy fidgeted, and then murmured, "I told her that I... love her." Even with avoiding her gaze, he saw the way the alien girl's eyes lit up, but he was quick to continue and her expression was quick to fade. "She just stared at me and then flew away. How was I so stupid?" He rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, letting out a groan of frustration. Starfire reached out to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Raven does not like to show her emotions, Beast Boy," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "This _love_, it is a very big emotion. I think that, maybe, she is not quite used to it." She squeezed his shoulder slightly, and offered him a bright, reassuring smile. "Just give her a bit of time and everything will be okay. You'll see."

Beast Boy smiled back at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. He couldn't believe her words, at least not that night. He lay staring at the ceiling long after the other Titans had fallen asleep, playing the scene at the beach over and over in his mind. He always heard people talking about how love was beautiful and magical and everyone desired it, but for him, all it had done was hurt.

* * *

And now I'm going to go hide before you all kill me. I'm sorry for the spontaneous angst, but this has been the chapter I've had planned from the start. It's not over yet!


	15. Missing

****Well, it wasn't quite as long a hiatus as last time, hey? I suppose that's improvement. Not exactly the most interesting of chapters, I'll warn you now, but we're leading up to the climax. Hoping you guys enjoy this.

**Review Replies  
**

MorWolfMor: Thanks much for the review, and you're welcome for the virtual cookies, haha. Yes, sorry about the angst. It's always been there, just waiting to be written...

Edgar H. Sutter: Ah, well the feeling of a chainsaw to the heart was the one I was going for. Don't worry, the story's not over yet! Hope I didn't make you mope about too much!

AmazingGirl: Thank you for your reviews of the first few chapters. Glad you seem to enjoy them.

Deus Imperator: It's really nice to find readers who are understanding of your real life situation and understand that there are reasons behind spontaneous hiatuses. Thank you very much.

MelonLord28: Thank you! I imagine you reading through all the chapters in one go must say something baout how enjoyable it is to read. :D

lanamere: Thank you also for your reviews. And look, I didn't have another five-month drop off!

Katwizzle: I updated! I hope you like it.

FrivolousFlare: Australian schooling systems are different to yours - Year 12 is actually my last year of school unless I choose to go to university ("college", in your words?) So it is a pretty big year for me.

xXimmortalXx: Here, I updated!

BioReck: I'm glad you think so, I really am. Here's hoping you enjoy what's to come.

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own _Teen Titans_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Missing**

Though restless throughout the entire night, Beast Boy must have gotten some sleep, as he found himself opening his eyes some time later to find light beginning to stream through his window. He groaned slightly as he pushed himself upright, muscles stiff from the awkward position in which he must have slept, and he looked over at his clock. 7:12 AM. This had to be the earliest he had ever woken up of his own accord. He lay in his bed for a few more minutes, but he knew that any attempt to fall back to sleep was futile – his mind was far too active and there was a strange pain in his chest that seemed to not want to leave him alone. He wouldn't be able to sleep until he had at least spoken to Raven. Maybe she'd tell him that she didn't feel the same way, and that a level of affection that strong was unrequited and it wouldn't work out between them. Surely, though, even that would give some sort of feeling of resolution. Wouldn't it be better to feel that sort of heartbreak but move on from that than to have this silence between them where he didn't know at all where they stood? Yes, if Raven said that she didn't want to be with him, it would break his heart. But he would rather hear the words from her lips than lie awake in his bed and come up with these dreadful thoughts about her mind.

He pulled himself out of bed and tossed on some fresh clothing, but it was still another few minutes before he left his room. Usually he was the type of guy who did things spontaneously and without thoughts of the consequences, but now he wanted to have some sort of plan, some sort of speech in his mind to say to Raven. Now that he thought about it, Raven had made him less spontaneous as well – he remembered how he'd planned their dates or planned the way he asked her out the first time. And now he was planning how to initiate a conversation that could possibly end in their falling out.

_No_, he thought to himself sternly, dismissing the thought from his mind as best as he could. _Don't think like that_. Maybe Starfire was right. Maybe Raven was still wrapping her head around the emotion. Maybe it would all work out.

Or maybe it wouldn't.

He fidgeted slightly and looked around his room. There was no point in standing there and coming up with best and worst possible case scenarios. He had to go out there and talk to her and work things out (hopefully). He exhaled through his nose as he headed to his door. Conversations had started coming naturally between them after they had started dating; this one should be no different.

Raven had always been an early riser, so he had no doubt that she would already be awake. However, he wasn't quite sure of her whereabouts for that reason. He decided her room would be the best place to start. He lifted his fist and knocked on the door.

"Raven? It's me. Obviously. Um. Can you open the door, please?"

No response.

"All right, um, if you don't want to talk... Well, can you just tell me so that I know that you're inside?"

No response, so he took his chances and opened the door, peering inside. No, she certainly was not inside. He went to close the door, and then paused, frowning slightly. Her bed was made, appearing untouched. Had she come to her room at all last night? He shrugged it off. Perhaps she had and merely made her bed before she left her room that morning.

He tried the roof next, but that was no use either – there was no sign of Raven there. A knot was beginning to form in his stomach as he made his way down into the common room. Raven wasn't there, but Robin was, shuffling through a bunch of papers.

"Hey, did Raven come home last night?" he asked, Robin's head snapping up immediately at the sound of his voice. The leader's expression was difficult to read behind his mask, but Beast Boy was pretty sure it was one of concern or worry.

"I haven't seen her come in," he said, seeming to think back to the previous night. "She's not in her room?"

Beast Boy shook his head. "Or on the roof," he added.

Robin glanced at the clock and then looked back to Beast Boy. "Don't worry; she'll be fine. Raven can take care of herself. She might have decided to spend the night elsewhere. Give her a couple of hours. If we've not heard from her by then, we'll go look for her."

TT

If there was one thing Beast Boy was not good at, it was waiting. He'd never been one for patience. Whether it was waiting for dinner to cook or for pizza to arrive, or for waiting for the arrival of the game that he had ordered online at some point, Beast Boy did not like waiting. He was also quick to make the discovery that his lack of patience was even worse in situations such as the one he was in, waiting for Raven to return. After making himself some breakfast and picking at it before deciding he wasn't hungry, the changeling had gone up to the roof – from there, he would have a view of the skies and the area surrounding the tower, and so from there he would likely be able to see Raven when she returned. He intended on just sitting on the edge of the tower, but after about fourteen seconds of fidgeting he realised that sitting still wasn't working for him. So he took to pacing. He walked back and forth and he circled the perimeter of the roof, eyes searching the skies and the island, looking for any sign of Raven's return.

Robin joined him for a short period of time a little over the hour mark. Beast Boy's anxiety there for the world to see, Robin attempted to calm him down a little, ensuring him that Raven would be perfectly fine. They were all more than aware of her strength and her abilities had she gotten herself into a situation where they were needed, and if that had been the case, if she had been in such a situation, it was more than likely that they would have been contacted. The most likely reason for her absence was simply that she needed some time away from the tower (which was not exactly a reassuring thought for Beast Boy, not liking the idea that she was avoiding him).

Everything that Robin was saying made perfect sense, Beast Boy knew, but he couldn't ignore the twisting sensation in the pit of his stomach or the feeling that something was terribly wrong. This wasn't Raven. Yes, she distanced herself from emotions, but he couldn't imagine her distancing herself from the tower itself to do so. Sure, maybe she would have gone out for the day, and he knew it would have made sense had she avoided him personally, but the idea that she would have spent the entire night out somewhere else seemed far too strange for his liking.

It wasn't long after Robin had left him alone on the roof that his communicator had buzzed and flashed, and he was racing down the stairs in a second. Like all the Titans, he knew how to act fast when it was necessary, but with the fact that Raven was missing, he seemed to respond quicker to the alert than usual. The other Titans had done the same, the four of them (that was awful – it felt too unnatural to see them only with four) gathered down in the common room. Robin met Beast Boy's gaze when he got downstairs, his expression shifting from its normal, serious one to something more worried, though still faint, as if it were only just beginning to nag at the back of his mind.

"I tried contacting Raven," he said, making a brief gesture to his communicator, "but she's not responding." Now _that_ was definitely unnatural – even if she was avoiding them, Beast Boy and the other Titans knew that she'd answer if only to see if their help was needed. "We can track her communicator, but I think that it's best we all go just in case there is something preventing her from responding."

The knot in Beast Boy's stomach was getting bigger, but he forced himself not to start imagining the worst possible scenarios. The team all exchanged glances, each with a similar look of determination in their eyes, and then they rushed out the door.

Beast Boy and Robin led the way. In his pterodactyl form, Beast Boy was able to carry the team's leader whilst he carried his communicator, using it to track their teammate. Starfire followed closely behind, carrying Cyborg. Their friend and their destination, given to them by the devices they all held, were the only things on their minds, and, as they moved closer, the tension in the air increased as they all began to worry.

"Here." Robin's voice broke through the silence and they responded instantly, making their landings on top of a hill which they had just been flying over. Beast Boy shifted back into his normal form, and they all looked around, Robin keeping an eye on his communicator. "It says she should be around here."

"Could it be that the communicator has made a mistake?" Starfire asked, walking over to a nearby tree to check behind it. "I cannot see Raven anywhere here."

"No," Beast Boy murmured, drawing the attention to him as he crouched down. "It's right." He picked something up on the ground, turning around and revealing the object in his hand – Raven's communicator.

* * *

I have a question for you guys. I'm not making promises on how this will go - this story took many unexpected turns and it has the potential to not end as I think, however, assuming that my current ideas do not change - would you be opposed to my creation of an original character? Namely a villain. Just curious.

Until next time! (Which should hopefully be soon-ish as I'm very much excited to write the next chapter).


	16. Shadows

I know, I know, I'm sorry. I only ask you all to understand that I am under a lot of stress at the moment and I really do not have a lot of time to myself. I'm so glad to be writing again, however. I feel I should warn you that this chapter was not as good as planned - I know I said I was excited about writing this one, but it took a different turn and drew itself out a little longer, pushing back the exciting bits. Apologies.

**Review Replies**

MorWolfMor: I always love your reviews. Thank you very much for your faith in me and my writing. It means more than you realise.

FrivolousFlare: Yep, pretty big year for me. Thank you very much for the review; I always love them.

Edgar H. Sutter: I love the way you come up with ideas in your reviews - it always seems to give me ideas that I wish I could have pushed in here somewhere. Thank you very much for your reviews, always - I'm really so glad you enjoy this.

oceanette: Thank you very much!

Katwizzle: Did she get kidnapped, or go willingly? You'll soon find out!

I'm Only Human Dude: It was rather amusing to read through your reviews of every chapter. Thank you for putting the effort into doing so; I appreciate it. Enjoy!

Guest: I did consider using a canon character, however none of them were quite working for me. I'm not making promises for how good this will turn out now, but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless.

BBRae4life: Thank you!

To-the-max: I apologise for keeping you waiting so long. Enjoy!

MelonLord28: I love your pen name, if I may say so. Thank you for reviewing!

Nadia Wynne: I may look into your own writing when I'm not quite so swamped. Thanks so much for reviewing.

Roses-are-in-Bloom: I'm glad you think so. It's sort of taken a turn from cute to something a little more interesting now, but I hope you'll still like it.

Lanamere: Thank you so much!

xXimmortalXx: That means a lot, really. Thank you.

Sharpclaws: You silly child, staying up late to read this. Though I cannot deny that I'm flattered. Hope your sleeping patterns are more regular now!

TwilightPrncss: I don't believe I actually mentioned their heights at all at any point. The image I have in my mind is that they are about the same height, so Beast Boy may have grown slightly taller, but it hasn't really crossed my mind.

Honestly, thank you so much for sticking with this through everything. I wish I could promise you that I will update soon, but I ask you to understand that I cannot.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Teen Titans. _

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Shadows **

The response to the sight of Raven's communicator in Beast Boy's hand was immediate. Starfire gasped, hands shooting to her mouth, and even behind his mask Robin's eyes widened visibly. Beast Boy knew that they all had the same thought process and had all come to the same conclusion. Raven would not leave her communicator behind, not even if she hated the idea of speaking to any of them, because being a Titan had always come first. Maybe she would ignore them or refuse to talk to them, but she would keep her communicator on her, without a doubt. Beast Boy tightened his hand around the object (cold, he noted – it had been left there for a while), his stomach now feeling as though it had turned to lead and collapsed in on itself. Something had happened to Raven; something bad.

It took the Titans no more than five seconds to get over this initial shock. The four of them looked up, locking eyes with one another as if they could send thoughts that way, and they all seemed to understand. Beast Boy pocketed Raven's communicator, shifted quickly into his pterodactyl form and grabbed Robin by the shoulders, Starfire tucking her hands under Cyborg's arms at the same time to lift him into the air. Robin's grip on his own communicator was visibly tight – it looked almost as though the device would shatter in his hands.

"Starfire, take Cyborg and head south. Search _everywhere_ and contact me if you find anything, understood?" His tone was sharp and clipped, and Beast Boy knew that the worry (or perhaps panic would be more accurate now) had finally settled in for the leader. Judging by their expressions and the terse nod of Starfire's head, it was clear that all of them feared for Raven's life. They wasted not another second, both pairs immediately flying off in their respective directions.

Beast Boy only remained flying above the city for a matter of minutes before he realised that neither he nor Robin would see anything from that high up. If something had happened to Raven, any clues on her whereabouts could be in the form of tiny, seemingly insignificant details that could not have been seen from the sky. Robin must have had the same idea, because he didn't protest as Beast Boy circled and found a quiet, open space in which to land, shifting into his normal form the very second that he let go of Robin.

The two didn't say a word to each other, but it did seem that, in their fear and desperation, they were on the same wavelength nonetheless. Though they did rush down separate streets in attempts to cover as much ground as possible, they both headed generally in the opposite direction to the centre of the city. Raven would have put up a fight which would have caused a large amount of destruction and drawn a lot of attention, but yet the people around the city centre did not look at all panicked when they had flown over, and had it happened the day before, they would have known about it. It was their job to protect the city – even if Raven couldn't contact them, somebody else would have done so at the discovery that there was danger and their help was needed.

Beast Boy darted around corners and slid down side streets, shifting into smaller forms to fit through gaps and into larger forms to jump over things, trying to move as quickly as possible while still managing to look thoroughly for anything. Occasionally, he'd shift into a flying animal to look from above again, and there was more than one point that he became separated from Robin for long periods of time before the two ran into each other again. All of his senses were on high alert in a way that they had never been before. His head snapped around at the sound of every footstep or every rustle that came with each gust of wind, obviously jumpy and on edge. "Raven," he kept muttering under his breath. "Where are you?"

After two hours, Robin was beginning to rethink strategies. He wasn't giving up – he'd never give up, not if there was even the slightest chance that Raven could be found – but yet scouring the city was beginning to seem more hopeless with every moment that passed. Searching the entire city could take hours, even days, and there was nothing to say that they'd definitely find her. The longer it took them to find her, the longer she was in danger; they needed to find her, and they needed to find her fast. There had to be another way. Perhaps security cameras had picked something up. Perhaps somebody, somewhere had seen something, and perhaps they would come forward if prompted.

Beast Boy was having none of it. Robin started to suggest to regroup after another half hour, and Beast Boy had turned on him with such a dangerous look in his eyes that made Robin clamp his jaw shut immediately. Regrouping would take too long, as far as Beast Boy was concerned. The others could go back and try to think of a new way, but he wouldn't - he refused to stop looking even for a second. He'd keep searching all night if he needed to. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, how illogical his plan was, but he dismissed the idea of ending his search until after he had covered every last area in the city, and even then he would not give up until he found her. He _would _find her, he kept reminding himself. Raven had become one of the most important things in his life – a constant that he could not imagine life without – and he dared not even imagine for a second the possibility that he would never find her.

It had been exactly three hours and twelve minutes after separating from Cyborg and Starfire that his communicator buzzed. He dropped it in his haste to pull it out of his pocket, scratching it on the pavement, but he picked it up again immediately.

"Beast Boy!" Starfire sounded tired, but yet hopeful at the same time – not relieved, not as though they'd found Raven herself, but as though they'd found _something_. Beast Boy was quick to realise that this was the case. Starfire turned the communicator in her hand, and on the screen Beast Boy could see an upturned car. This meant nothing to him, but as the communicator continued to rotate in Starfire's hand, he understood. A lamp pole a few metres down had been knocked to the ground as well and further on lay a broken letter box, letters scattered around the street, flyers fluttering in the wind. In fact, on the screen of the communicator, Beast Boy could see that the entire street was a path of destruction, and he was willing to bet anything that Raven would be at the end of it. He pocketed his communicator, and his head snapped towards Robin. "Let's go."

TT

The two of them made it to Starfire and Cyborg's location in record time – Beast Boy had never flown that fast in his life, but this fear for Raven coursing through his body gave him more energy than he needed. He didn't have time to think of thoughts of pain or exhaustion that would have slowed him down on a normal occasion, because every last thought was centred on Raven and how important it was to find her.

Starfire, who was crouched down beside the upturned car that she had shown Beast Boy moments earlier, jumped suddenly to her feet the moment she caught sight of the two of them. She rushed over to Robin, but Beast Boy didn't stop to hear what she had to say, or even to come up with any sort of plan. In a second, he was running, following the trail of destruction down the road. It had to be Raven. All the Titans had seen similar paths of destruction, leading them straight to villains and danger and attacks in parks, but yet this time, though nothing looked any different at first glance, he knew it was her. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but the thought stuck in his head nonetheless.

His feet slammed against the concrete, echoed by the sound of the other Titans, who were now chasing after him, trying not to be separated from one another. Beast Boy himself was only vaguely aware of this; his mind was spinning with several other thoughts about Raven and the path of destruction.

"She did this on purpose!" he yelled over his shoulder as he skidded around a corner at an intersection. "She made a path to lead us to her!" He heard the other Titans yell out questions behind him, but he didn't respond, focussed on the path. Raven's emotional control, and thus her control of her powers, had improved a lot in the last few months – distress would not cause this type of destruction anymore. The line of upturned cars and lampposts was so perfect – it wasn't chaos, it was a trail made perfectly to lead them to her.

Of course, if she was making a trail for this purpose, it did mean that she had realised that she could not get herself out of this situation alone, and that thought did nothing to comfort him.

Beast Boy raced around another corner, and then skidded to a stop. Starfire almost ran into him from behind. The trail had led them to a car park, empty, and there the trail had stopped. He spun around in circles, eyeing the buildings that surrounded the car park – all old and run down, some abandoned. _Raven, Raven, where are you?_

"Raven?" Starfire yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to increase volume. "_Raven_?"

There was no response, but of course none of them had truly expected it – even if Raven could hear them, would she be able to yell back? Beast Boy raked his hands through his green hair, tugging at the roots and continuing to spin in circles, eyeing every single building. Would Raven be inside one of them?

_Crash! _

He spun around suddenly, looking for the source of the noise, and he was quick to work out where it came from, as it was echoed two seconds later by the same noise, shards of glass flying out from the window of an old, abandoned building.

He took that as a yes.

In seconds, the four were sprinting towards the building, ignoring the obvious instability of the floor as they raced inside and quickly split up. From other rooms and levels, Beast Boy could hear his friends calling out the same word over and over again; "Raven? Raven? Raven?"

And then: "Raven!"

They knew that Cyborg had found her immediately. Her name, coming from his mouth, had not been a question, nor a call, but an exclamation. Beast Boy turned on his heels and sprinted up the stairs towards the sound of his voice, stumbling in the darkness but finally managing to find them.

Even though her state was not ideal, Beast Boy had never been so relieved to see her in his entire life.

Raven was, thankfully, not visibly injured – as a matter of fact; she looked more irritated than she did scared. The only source of light came from Cyborg's suit and the small amount of natural light that managed to shine through the broken window, but it was enough to see her there in the corner, darkness surrounding her body and her mouth, successfully gagging her.

Beast Boy dropped to his knees beside her, just as Starfire and Robin raced into the room. Starfire rushed over and crouched down beside her, reaching out a glowing hand. She moved it cautiously towards the shadow over her mouth, and it suddenly shrunk away.

Raven took in a quick breath as Starfire moved her hand lower. The shadows that were binding her seemed to shrink away from the light, allowing Raven to move. She got to her feet quickly, taking on a defensive stance. "I do not play 'damsel in distress'," she spat under her breath.

Then, before any of them had a chance to respond, the entire room turned to darkness.

* * *

Again, thank you, and I do apologise for my spontaneous and annoying hiatuses. I'm sorry that this chapter does not do justice after such a long hiatus, also. I'll try harder, I promise!


	17. The Woman of Darkness

_This_ was the chapter I was looking forward to writing. It's not something I'm particularly talented with, but something I very much wanted to give a go, and I had far too much fun with this. All I've wanted to do for the past few days is write, so if I'm not too swamped, I might see if I can get this finished. I'm focussing on it over my other one at the moment; it may only have one or two chapters left after this one.

**Review Replies**

xXimmortalXx: I am truly hoping that "WHAAAT" is a good thing.

Shadico: I apologise; I did rush the last chapter a little and I realise now that part did not make a lot of sense. It was merely supposed to be a statement said to no one in particular. I assumed Raven would be rather angry with herself and, of course, her attacker, given that she had to be rescued.

Edgar H. Sutter: I truly wish I could use so many of your ideas in this fic, but I'm afraid the ending is now totally planned out (which is pretty exciting, mind you). Thank you so much for reviewing, though; your undying faith in my writing and this story has helped a lot.

MorWolfMor: Glad to be back too. Gosh, I've missed writing. Thank you so much for reviewing!

Guest: I think it's lovely that this story reminds you of your own story with your girlfriend (minus the kidnapping, I hope)! I admit that I may have projected ideas of my perfect relationship when writing Beast Boy and Raven's. Thank you for reviewing!

Izzy: I read your review (both of them) and grinned like nothing else. I don't think anyone's ever said something so nice about my writing, and the idea that what was just a silly little idea of mine could have formed into someone's favourite fanfic is actually incredible. Honestly, I cannot thank you enough.

FrivolousFlare: Yes, I do believe I update a tad more than you do. I miss your writing. Nonetheless, thank you for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Teen Titans_. The nameless character in this chapter, however, is of my creation.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**The Woman of Darkness **

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

Beast Boy squeezed his eyes shut tightly and rubbed them, but there was no change in the lighting when he opened them again. He turned around; trying to find the window – surely there would be the slightest hint of light peeking through a crack – but he couldn't see it anywhere. He couldn't even work out exactly where the window was – the darkness was disorientating.

Robin's voice came from the darkness, and Beast Boy's head instinctively turned towards it, trying to reorientate himself. "Starfire, light."

"I can't," Starfire replied, voice tight.

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I am trying, Robin, but I cannot- it is not working."

Robin let out something that sounded like a soft groan, clearly frustrated by the suddenly debilitating darkness that had overcome them. "Cyborg-" he began, but Cyborg, clearly knowing what he was about to say, answered him before he had a chance to ask.

"Night vision only works if there is the slightest amount of light for it to use. We're in absolute darkness. This has never happened before."

"Because it's not natural," Raven stated, her voice hardly more than a murmur.

The silence that followed the conversation was deafening; Beast Boy could hear his ears ringing loudly as his brain tried to fill it. If Cyborg was right – and he had no doubt that he was – none of the nocturnal animals he could turn into would be any good; all of them required even the slightest glimmer of light for their eyes to focus on in the darkness. Without that, there would be no change. They were in complete darkness, controlled by something, or someone, they could not see.

He reached out blindly, hand brushing against what he immediately recognised to be Raven's arm, and he felt her flinch away instinctively before she must have recognised the touch. He longed to let his hand trail down to her own, but he knew now was neither the time nor the place, especially given that he wasn't even certain of where they stood relationship-wise. Instead, he drew his hand back and reached it out past her, trying to use the sense of touch to "see". Without the use of his eyes, he'd have to focus on his other senses, like touch and sound –

_Sound! _

The realisation came to him suddenly, and a grin broke out across his face, surprised that he had not thought about it before. Not all nocturnal animals used their eyes to see in the dark. As a matter of fact, he could think of one animal with the ability to "see" by listening to the way high-pitched sounds that they create bounce off walls and other objects.

He drew his hand back, and shifted into a bat.

As expected, there was absolutely no change in the lighting of the room – Beast Boy remained blinded completely by the darkness. However, this was no longer a problem. Flapping his wings, he hovered in the air, around eye-level on a person of average height (although he could have very well been mistaken, confused by the darkness). He could hear the Titans murmuring again, voices lower than before as they now feared the possibility of someone, the person (or thing) controlling the darkness, watching and listening. Beast Boy was certain he could hear what they were saying had he wanted to, but none of it was relevant now. There were much more important noises to attend to.

Opening his mouth, he let out a loud, high-pitched noise – one he knew he would be the only one capable of hearing – and listened to it bounce back off the wall of the room. He would have smiled had he not been busy continuing the noise - this idea was _genius_, if he did say so himself. Rotating slightly every few seconds and listening to the way the noise bounced off the walls and the other Titans, he was slowly painting a picture in his mind of exactly where they were all positioned. Now, if he could just work out whereabouts the exit was, he could shift back and guide the other Titans to it, away from the consuming darkness and into the light.

Continuing to circle around himself, Beast Boy was able to locate each of the other four Titans and work out the size of the room, and, putting these discoveries with his earlier knowledge of what the room had looked like in the light, it meant that the exit had to be about-

His train of thought cut off suddenly as he heard the noise bounce back faster, off something closer than the wall. The room had been empty when he and the other Titans had entered – there shouldn't have been anything there for the noise to bounce off. Whatever – no, _whoever _– this was had entered after them, and he was willing to bet anything that they were the cause of the unnatural darkness.

Beating his wings hard, he flew at them as fast as he could manage.

The person, evidently able to see or otherwise sense his location even in the dark, was prepared for the attack and was able to sidestep, causing Beast Boy to come to a near-screeching halt before he hit the wall, but the ultimate effect was the same. Beast Boy had broken their concentration, and the darkness had broken. Shifting quickly back into his normal form, he dropped to a crouch and managed to get a look at their attacker.

They – _she_ was human-like in appearance, an outfit of black accentuating her feminine curves. Her skin was pale, almost white in contrast to her outfit and her hair, which fell over one of her dark brown eyes. They didn't get the opportunity to study her appearance for long, however, as she slammed her hands together, a dark shadow covering them before it shot out towards Beast Boy.

Instincts told him that this was not just any old shadow, and he found himself to be correct only seconds later when it made contact with the wall he had just ducked away from, smashing into it as if it were a solid pillar. It made a sickening crunching noise, and there was a large crack left in the wall after it dissolved into the air once more. That "shadow", had he not managed to get out of the way, would have squashed him flat.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted from behind him, and the other four wasted not another second. Starfire's hands glowed green and Cyborg aimed his own arm – which he had turned into his sonic cannon – in the same direction, both attacking at the same time.

The woman was as nimble as she was powerful – she dodged both attacks with apparent ease, a smirk pulling at her full lips. Her hands were surrounded by darkness, which shot out towards them as she clasped them together. Cyborg threw himself out of the way, and at the same time Robin threw himself at Starfire, wrapping an arm around her middle and pulling her to the ground as the solid beam shot over their heads.

The woman laughed – her laugh was dark and sinister, enough to put anyone at unease – and spoke one word: "cute", before spinning on one foot and taking a sudden shot at Raven.

Raven took longer to react than usual, throwing out her arms though nothing happened. Beast Boy only realised afterwards that she had tried to control the beam of darkness herself, stop it in its tracks, but it seemed that her own powers did not grant her that ability. She only managed to throw up her own, black shield at the last second. The two solid constructs of darkness collided, Raven evidently straining to keep her shield in place while the beam pushed against it. The woman merely smirked, seeming to put in hardly any effort at all.

Starfire's voice came from the side, shouting a sort of war cry, and she shot out her hands, bright green starbolts flying at the beam of darkness. As it had with the darkness that had bound Raven, the shadows shrunk away from the light, allowing Raven to lower her shield. Starfire kept a continuous beam of green energy flying at the beam of darkness, and it was quite a sight to see the way they collided in the middle, pushing against each other in an explosion of green and black. This, it appeared, caused the woman of darkness to struggle, but she did not give up. Still holding her own hands out in front of her, sending the darkness at Starfire's beam of light, she began to walk slowly sideways, circling. In order to keep her defence up, Starfire was forced to walk too, the two circling one another, connected by a beam of green and black.

Then, too sudden for Starfire to react, the woman widened the space between her hands, and the darkness overpowered Starfire's energy. It knocked her back with such force that she flew straight through the wall behind her, tumbling down to the story below.

"Starfire!" Robin yelled, and the four Titans raced after the woman of darkness, who had jumped straight through the hole in the wall that the alien girl had made.

Robin threw a birdarang at the woman to distract her, effectively preventing her from using the beam of darkness that she had quite obviously been creating. He rushed over to Starfire's side while Cyborg took aim and fired repeatedly at the woman. She dodged every shot.

"Is that really the best you can do?" she taunted, letting out another sinister laugh. She flicked her hand, and a ball of darkness flew at the cannon, colliding with it with a massive explosion that knocked the half-robot off his feet and took Raven down with it.

Beast Boy, however, had not been nearby the two of them when the explosion had occurred; he had used Cyborg's attack as a distraction and had taken the opportunity to find a place a fair amount of distance behind her. Once there, he shifted into a bull, grunting heavily and instinctively dragging his foot along the ground. The moment Cyborg went down, he charged, ducking his head and rushing at the woman at full speed.

She turned at the last moment, right as Beast Boy was beginning to think that this was going to work. She swiped at a hand through the air, creating a wall of darkness with it, and the force of the impact knocked Beast Boy backwards. He hit his head hard against the wall behind him, ending up back in his normal form before he slid to the ground. For a moment, he was seeing stars, and when they cleared he saw the woman advancing on him, hands surrounded by darkness which would undoubtedly be thrown at, and most likely kill him. He tried to force himself up, or to shift into another creature, but he couldn't – he only ended up sliding back down feebly before he'd even managed to get to his feet. His vision blurred, but so clearly he could see the woman's face, the tight, victorious smirk that pulled over her lips as she raised her hand and sent the darkness towards him.

Then Raven was there, landing in front of him in a second, shielding him with a wall of her own creation, and that was the last thing he saw before he passed out.

* * *

Ah, that was fun. I admit that I've never been very good at all with action scenes, but I'm hoping that that one was all right. Now, as I mentioned in the earlier author's note, there may only be one or two chapters left in this story (I'm aiming for two, I just have to draw a bit of it out a little more). You have been given fair warning.


	18. Darkness against Darkness

I'm trying, I really am. The end of this story is so close that I just want to keep at it until it's finished, and not end up on another half-year hiatus. It may possibly be two chapters after this, actually. It veered slightly off course (onto an undoubtedly better one, obviously).

**Review Replies**

Edgar H. Sutter: All shall be revealed, very soon (though perhaps not immediately). I'm sincerely hoping that the answer to your question is satisfactory.

Katwizzle: Thank you so much! It was such fun to write!

MorWolfMor: I did think the bat thing was rather clever, if I may say so myself. Bats are quite fascinating. Thank you so much for reviewing.

xXimmortalXx: I love cliffhangers, though. They tend to drive your readers mad. I'm rather good at that. :P Thank you.

is-something-still-scaring-you: Well, I sincerely hope the ending will be to your liking when we come to it. :)

Isabelle: I always get ridiculously excited when someone goes through and reviews every chapter. Thank you very much; they were very sweet.

DETHREAPER: Yes, I can see why you'd be glad to have missed my insanely long hiatuses. I do apologise for them, though in my defence I am a Year 12 student who is positively hopeless when it comes to coping with stress. I'm trying; there shouldn't be any more hiatuses now. Thank you!

1PurpleSparkles1: Thank you so much! I really am so pleased that you've enjoyed this thus far.

Mr. Atrocious: I thank you for your honesty, sincerely. It is what I'm looking for in reviews. I understand that the first half of the story can be incredibly plain, though the idea was to write their relationship as something slow-developing and almost ordinary, given how extraordinary the two are. I realise that my writing, however, was not the best and I should have found some way to add interest to the story, but what's done is done. I'm glad it's looking up now, though. Thank you!

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own _Teen Titans_. That'll come with world domination. I mean, what?

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Darkness against Darkness **

The darkness collided with Raven's own shield of dark matter, her entire body starting under the sudden force of the impact. She pushed one leg back to widen her stance, trying to steady herself so that she would not be overpowered in the same way that Starfire had been earlier. The woman was strong, seeming to hardly struggle at all as Raven battled to keep her shield where it was, but yet the two forms of dark energy pushed against one another with equal force. It was like a game of tug-o-war, only with pushing instead of pulling – the place where the two energies collided stayed in the same place even as the two women kept trying to push.

Raven forced more energy to run through her body, widening the shield of energy she had created in an attempt to prevent the woman from changing aim suddenly to throw an attack over her shoulder at Beast Boy. The strength of both energies did not change; they continued to push evenly against one another, neither strong enough to overpower the other.

It was Robin who broke the woman's concentration, hitting her from behind with a birdarang. She gasped; the dark beam dissolved into the air as her focus broke, allowing Raven to lower her own shield. She had a strong feeling that the woman would have kept fighting, despite their even match, until Raven was forced to give up – if it weren't for Robin or the others, who could break the woman's focus and thus prevent her from using her powers temporarily, Raven would almost certainly be forced to hold concentration until her powers failed her, allowing the woman to kill her.

The woman turned on the team's leader, undoubtedly planning on using the one power she had demonstrated and had proved to be perhaps stronger than any of their own powers were, but Robin dived at her before she got the chance. They both hit the ground with a _thump_, trying to wrestle one another off.

Starfire was back on her feet again, standing defensively off to the side. There were few things that could seriously harm the alien girl, and a fall from the story above was not one of them. Her hands glowed with green energy, but she could not use it, not without the risk of hitting Robin if her aim was slightly off or if the two changed positions suddenly. They were rolling and tumbling along the ground, the woman trying to throw him off while Robin tried to pin her down and prevent her from using her powers.

Raven used the opportunity to dart to Beast Boy's side, rolling him from the awkward position in which he had collapsed onto his back. He was out cold, and she could feel a bump on his head as she brushed her hand over it, but at least he was alive. There was nothing that could be done until he woke up, and that couldn't happen until they were not under attack.

"Robin!"

Raven spun around quickly at the sound of Starfire's voice, seeing that the woman had managed to kick Robin off. He hit the floor back-first with such force that it knocked the wind out of him. Starfire was at his side in a second, expecting the woman to use Robin's vulnerable state as an opportunity to attack and possibly kill him, in the same way as she had tried with Beast Boy.

The attack never came.

The woman merely looked blankly at Robin's crumpled form, but she made no effort to kill him. The damage she had done to him was minimal – he had been hurt, but not severely so – yet it seemed like it was enough. She turned her back and aimed once more at Beast Boy.

Raven made a swiping motion through the air, blocking the lethal attack. She changed her stance into something stronger, using all of her power against the woman.

"You will not hurt him," she stated, voice still monotonous but with fierce determination.

"You will not hurt him," the woman echoed, but it did not sound mocking; it sounded almost as if she was giving the warning back to Raven in the same way that Raven had to her.

Starfire shot a starbolt at the woman, which she blocked quickly before shooting a beam of darkness back at her. It knocked Starfire off her feet, and she knocked Robin down as she flew backwards. It left the two of them completely defenceless – they had neither each other nor themselves for protection. For a moment, the woman had a clear shot, and chances were she would have succeeded, even if intending to kill. But again, she did nothing to them, and instead turned suddenly on Beast Boy once more, sending a beam of darkness which was expertly blocked by Raven.

The two forms of dark energy clashed together, and suddenly, inexplicably, Raven understood.

The realisation knocked her backwards, and the second of weakness was enough for the woman to press forward, pressing her back against the wall with the darkness and trapping her there. Raven's eyes locked on hers, and the familiarity in them was near unbearable.

"No," she breathed.

"Yes," responded the woman, and Raven heard her own voice.

All her life, she'd worked so hard to keep her emotions in check. She could not allow herself to feel anger. She could not allow herself to feel hurt. She could not feel, nor fear; she could not let her emotions get the best of her. Yet she had. She'd allowed herself to feel, not just in terms of emotions but in genuine feelings for others – genuine, unfamiliar, dangerous feelings. It had been fine. She had been in control. She had learnt that she could feel and not lose control. However, intensified after Beast Boy's confession, she felt fear, fear that she would lose control, and she would hurt them.

It was exactly what had happened.

The woman smirked as if she could see the cogs turning in Raven's mind, lowering her hands although the darkness that held the empath against the wall remained in place. She struggled against it, but to no avail – it only seemed to tighten around her body. The woman, smirk never fading, turned to Beast Boy, who remained unconscious on the floor. From behind, Cyborg, who had managed to get back on his feet, began firing continuously at her back, but yet none of it stopped her. She held one arm out behind her, blocking the attacks, while her eyes remained locked on Beast Boy. She made a motion with the hand behind her, darkness flying out and knocking Cyborg backwards, and then she raised both arms towards Beast Boy. Darkness encircled them, flowing around her body and coming to a stop at her hands before she held her palms out flat towards Beast Boy and –

"_Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos_!"

Raven's shout echoed, bouncing back off the walls of the room, successfully drawing the attention of not only the woman, but also Cyborg, Robin and Starfire, who all stopped what they were doing at the sight of their friend. The darkness that trapped her exploded outwards in all directions, and she shot her hands out at the last minute, eyes glowing dangerously as she stopped the explosion where it was and then controlled each shadow of energy until they all flew towards the women. Said woman held out her own hands at the last minute, creating a shield of darkness, but instead of colliding with a powerful explosion, the two energies meshed together as one, pushing the woman backwards. She skidded backwards until she managed to plant her feet firmly on the floor, stopping herself from collapsing. Her eyes locked on Raven's, and for the first time, her expression faltered.

It was almost like the two had switched bodies – suddenly, Raven was the one standing tall and strong, hands surrounded by dark energy. The woman straightened herself up, stretching out her arms as darkness began to encircle her hands, but before she had the chance to do anything with it, Raven made an upwards motion with her own hands. Darkness did not shoot out of them, but instead the darkness that was encircling the woman's hands expanded and pushed her backwards, off her feet. She tried to scramble back up again, but the darkness surrounding her hands pinned her to the ground. Eyes still glowing, Raven walked towards her.

"I control my powers," she said, voice low and almost unnaturally calm. "My powers do not control me."

And as the last word left her lips, she swiped both hands out sideways, and a dark shadow washed over the woman, like a wave crashing in from the sea. The woman neither spoke another word nor moved, and when the darkness faded, she was gone, and the only sound Raven could hear was the sound of her pounding heart.


	19. Control

The response to the last chapter was _incredible_ and I honestly cannot thank you enough. As I mentioned before, fight scenes aren't my specialty, and I admit to being a little worried about it after I decided that I wanted one in here. The fact that you guys liked it means a lot.

**Review Replies****  
**

1PurpleSparkles1: Your review was one of the nicest things I've ever read. Thank you so much for it. You never know, maybe one day we will see my name on a book. I can dream, can't I?

MorWolfMor: Well, I did figure Raven would be at Beast Boy's side if he couldn't defend himself. Notable that she's there a lot in the series itself. Thank you so much for your review.

Shadico: I'm so, so glad you liked it! Thank you so much!

Edgar H. Sutter: Ding, ding, ding, _perfect_! That was _exactly _what I was going for, and I'm rather glad that you got it, because it means that I explained it well enough. I have no plans for a sequel - as a matter of fact, this could be my last _Teen Titans _fic, although I won't make promises on that matter given that ideas often come to me out of nowhere, generally at ungodly hours of the night. Thanks so much for reviewing.

xXimmortalXx: I'm so glad you liked it!

Katwizzle: I'm glad I was able to take you all by surprise. I hope the concept wasn't too out there.

Mr. Atrocious: Thanks again for your honesty. I will work on making less cluttered fight scenes in future. I hope you like the ending. Thank you for reviewing.

**Disclaimer**: _Teen Titans _will never be mine.

* * *

**Chapter 19 **

**Control**

It was Raven's voice that brought Beast Boy out of his unconsciousness, repeating his name over and over. At first it was hardly more than a murmur – a far-away echo breaking through the darkness of his mind – but slowly it grew clearer, firmer, dragging him back to reality. When he opened his eyes, squinting against the sudden, harsh light, he wasn't sure if the voice had been real or a dream.

The other four Titans were kneeling beside him, distinct expressions of relief crossing their faces as he opened his eyes. He heard Starfire say something along the lines of "Beast Boy, you are all right!" but her voice sounded distant and hard to focus on. He groaned slightly, eyes rolling back, and he found it far too difficult to force them open again, though he did manage after a moment. He tried to sit up, thinking that it might wake him up properly, but Raven put her hand on his chest, forcing him to lie back down.

"Careful," he heard her murmur, not removing her hand until after he was back on the floor and looked like he wasn't going to try to get up again. She then brought her hand up to slide over his head, over the bump that most definitely should not have been there, and only then did he feel the throbbing pain.

"You received a severe blow to the head," said Robin, though Beast Boy found that, while he could recognise the words, they didn't make a lot of sense. "You're probably concussed."

Feeling like he should say something, Beast Boy opened his mouth, but the only sound that came out was a weak and feeble "ow".

"He'll be fine if you let me concentrate," said Raven firmly, fingertips pressing lightly on the bruise on his head. Beast Boy knew she was trying to be gentle to not cause him any more pain, but he was also pretty certain that she could press as hard as she could and he'd still not feel the pressure over the pain that was already there.

The other Titans took the cue to leave, spreading out around the room just to get out of Raven's way. The empath, having decided she had finished inspecting the lump on Beast Boy's head, withdrew her hand slightly and held both hands an inch or so above Beast Boy's head. They glowed with static-like blue energy, and Beast Boy felt the pain slowly ebb away. An injury like that would not heal easily, even with Raven speeding up the process, but her help was more than appreciated. After a few moments, the pain had subsided enough to allow him to think clearly again, and when she drew her hands back it was hardly more than an unpleasant sensation that was easily pushed to the back of his mind.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked, this time not stopping him as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

Beast Boy rubbed his head – there was still a hint of a bruise, though the lump wasn't quite so distinct. "Better. Thanks."

In the silence that fell between them, Beast Boy let the memories that the pain had suppressed come back to him, images of the woman flickering back into his mind. "What happened?" he asked, and at Raven's raised eyebrow he clarified, "To the woman?"

"What did happen, Raven?" Robin asked, coming up behind the two of them. Starfire and Cyborg followed closely behind with similar expressions on their faces. "You seemed to recognise her."

Raven's gaze dropped briefly to Beast Boy, and then she looked back at the group. "I'll explain after we've gotten back to the tower," she said, and then added to Beast Boy, "Can you walk?"

"I don't play 'dude in distress'," Beast Boy said, a grin playing at his lips, and it widened slightly as he saw the ghost of a smile cross Raven's face as well, even if just for a second. He stood slowly, Raven standing behind him just in case he did fall backwards (which, to their relief, he did not). The group waited a few seconds to make sure that the changeling was perfectly steady and was not about to pass out on them before they began to walk.

TT

It took longer than it would have normally to return to the tower, but that was mainly because Beast Boy refused to shift into any sort of flying animal unless he had to, in case he passed out mid-flight. The other Titans chose to walk alongside him rather than fly ahead. The walk was not silent – Starfire, who was clearly relieved that all her friends were all right – chatted happily to Beast Boy, who just nodded because he couldn't get a word in edgewise. He found himself a bit distracted, anyway, constantly looking towards Raven, who had fallen silent and had not spoken a word since they had left the building. He noted that Robin kept studying her as well and was sure that his thoughts were the same.

When they did finally arrive back at the tower, the group of them headed up to the common room, Starfire's chatter dying away as the atmosphere grew tense with anticipation. It appeared they all wanted to know exactly what had happened, all aware that Raven knew something that they did not. They seated themselves on the couch, Beast Boy and Robin either side of the empath, though Beast Boy sat slightly further away from her than usual; before, he would have sat so their knees or thighs were brushing together.

It took Raven a moment or two before she could talk, perhaps trying to find the best way to explain exactly what had happened. Her loss of control was not something she was proud of and not something she would readily admit, but she knew that it was important and it was necessary that the other Titans understood what had occurred. So, when Robin prompted her to speak, she told them everything. She explained that she had lost control of herself, and that her emotions – to be specific, her fear of losing control of them – had manifested in a physical form with the intent of harming and killing those whom she was closest to. She explained that the woman, the manifestation of her emotions, could not have harmed her, as it would lead to her own demise, but she could use her as bait for the other Titans, which was exactly what she did, taking form on the hill on which they had found Raven's communicator, and ultimately abducting her and holding her hostage until the other Titans came to her rescue. Raven kept her eyes locked on her knees as she spoke, refusing to make eye contact with any of the other Titans, but once or twice Beast Boy saw her gaze flicker up to him. He was certain that her thoughts had gone down the path of their relationship, and the emotions they felt for each other (or, at very least, the emotions Beast Boy felt for her). The thought that they were the emotions that had caused her loss of control made him feel sick to the stomach, but he remained silent, clasping his hands in his lap and resisting the urge to reach out and take one of hers – an action that had become so _normal _in the past few months. He had to keep reminding himself that that all could change now – this entire encounter might have made Raven realise that she could not hold a serious relationship with him.

Even after Raven finished talking, a long, tense silence filled the common room. Raven's gaze remained locked on her knees, everyone else watching her. Beast Boy could think of at least a thousand things to say, and yet not one of them sounded right. It was Robin who finally broke the silence.

"We're glad you're okay, Raven." His voice was soft, but sincere, and the other Titans made sounds of agreement. "None of us expect you to be able to control your emotions all the time."

"But it shouldn't get to the point where any of you are in danger," Raven replied immediately, finally bringing her gaze up though she didn't quite meet anyone's eyes for a long period of time. "I should not lose control." Her gaze flickered over to Beast Boy for a split second before she stood, walking towards the door.

"You know, Raven," Cyborg said before she left, making her stop and glance over her shoulders. "You did defeat her. That's got to say something about control."

Raven didn't smile, but her expression did change minutely before she disappeared into her room.

TT

Normality returned to Titans Tower that evening (at least, as much normality as was possible after the day's events). Robin had retreated to his own room, Starfire joining him after a brief period of time, and Cyborg had taken his place on the couch in front of the television. Beast Boy wandered down the hall, considering going to Raven and confronting her (because, in his experience, avoiding the problem would never work), but as he passed her room he heard the gentle, repetitive mutter of her mantra which obviously meant that she was meditating. Given what had occurred earlier, he knew it would be better to not interrupt that.

Returning to the common room, he took a seat on the couch beside Cyborg to watch whatever was on the TV, but he found he couldn't focus on the television screen at all – his mind kept wandering back to Raven and to their conversation on the beach before all hell had broken loose. He tried to distract himself, but in the end, he couldn't do it – he needed to get out. So, letting Cyborg know he'd be back in an hour or so (the last thing they needed was another missing persons incident), he slipped quietly out of the tower.

* * *

The next chapter will be the last. Of this, I am certain. Fingers crossed that you all decide it was a worthwhile read.


	20. Moments

Well, this is it. This is the final chapter of _Moments like This_. This is a pretty big deal for me. There will be a longer author's note at the bottom, because I'm sentimental like that. All right, here we go.

**Review Replies**

Edgar H. Sutter: I can't say I'm entirely certain that I won't write anything else _Teen Titans_ related, because I know ideas do pop out of nowhere, but I don't have any at the moment. You never know; maybe when I'm done with all this school stuff and I have time to rewatch the series, I might just get some more inspiration. Also, I just wanted to say thank you for everything when it comes to this story. Your reviews have been incredibly touching and I cannot thank you enough for your support.

1PurpleSparkles1: Well, I'm not spoiling anything, but I truly hope you're satisfied with the ending. Thank you so very much for your reviews.

UnitedDestiny: I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! Though I'm hopeless at updating at a decent time, I've adored writing this. Truly.

Shadico: Oh, I know, you people have such high expectations of me. I'm more than a little bit nervous and I sincerely hope this is good enough.

Mr. Atrocious: Well, I'm glad you think so. Thanks again for your reviews, and for your honesty. I will certainly bear all of your comments in mind as I continue to write for whatever I write for now.

Guest: Glad you think so.

MorWolfMor: I've no plans for a sequel, I'm afraid. I hope you're satisfied with the ending.

**Disclaimer**: _Teen Titans_ is not any more 'mine' than it was when I started this fic.

* * *

**Chapter 20 **

**Moments **

Though he hadn't planned specifically where he had wanted to go, Beast Boy was not surprised when he found himself standing on the beach, staring out into the ocean. The sun had begun to set, casting a familiar golden glow over the beach, and he found himself flashing back to the night before. It was almost unbelievable how different the beach seemed – yesterday, moments before the confession that had obviously and unexpectedly been a major turning point in their relationship (and not in a good way), the view had been nothing short of magnificent. This evening, however, it appeared empty and sad, almost dreary (which was an odd way to describe a day of such fine weather). The waves had washed away their footprints from the day beforehand, hiding the evidence that such an event had existed at all, but, of course, the memories would not fade so easily.

Perhaps, in time, he would learn to look back on the time that they spent together fondly. For now, perhaps, he wouldn't be able to look at the beach in the same light, and maybe he would change certain things in his routine – maybe he'd avoid the Waffle House, maybe he wouldn't watch the sunset from the roof of the tower, maybe he wouldn't watch certain programmes or eat certain foods – but maybe someday soon the thought of the six months he had spent as Raven's boyfriend would be remembered with a smile on his face. Time would heal a broken heart.

He knew, of course, that this was what a broken heart felt like. He recognised it – it was similar to what he had experienced with Terra. It was similar, however it seemed to hurt more, and he was certain he knew why. He'd never deny that he liked Terra. His attraction to her was blatantly obvious to the rest of the Titans, and he was aware of that. But yet what he felt for Raven was different – for Terra, it was attraction, but for Raven, it was love. It was perhaps the most mature feeling he'd ever experienced. It was a desire to be with her, because her presence was enough to brighten his day. It was the way he cared for her – different, stronger than the way he cared for the other Titans. It was love; there was no other way that he could describe it.

He didn't regret telling her how he felt. He forced himself to think back to it, rewinding past the memory of the expression on Raven's face seconds before she flew away. It hadn't been a lie. Beast Boy might not have been marvellous with reading other people's feelings (though that had improved while he was with Raven, especially when it came to the girl in question), but he knew what his own emotions were. He was in love with the purple-haired empath, and he would never regret telling her that, even if it was the cause for the end of their relationship. It had clearly made her realise that she could not feel for him what he felt for her, and it was better that she did realise that and end the relationship than for the two of them to continue as they were, Raven oblivious to his feelings and also not reciprocating them. He was glad he had told her. Whatever her feelings were, it was something she had to know.

He thought back to their first kiss, that day on the roof, and to all the kisses they had shared after that. He thought of the sparks that had seemed to fly between them as their lips touched, and of the look in Raven's eyes when they broke apart. It caused an odd sensation in his chest, and he couldn't tell whether it was the same excitement he had felt at the time of the kiss himself, or hurt at the idea that he'd never see that look on her face again. Surely, _surely _she had felt something too. Maybe it wasn't love, but she had to have felt something for him – after all, this was Raven; she'd definitely not force herself to fake a relationship if she didn't feel for her partner at all. He'd have to focus on that – on the idea that, for a while, Raven had seen him as something more than just another member of the Teen Titans.

Whatever happened now, he'd always be her friend. They had been friends even before they were romantically involved with each other, and all the Titans had a bond Beast Boy was sure would never break. So he wouldn't get a chance to kiss her again, or to hold her and call her his girlfriend. It didn't matter. She'd still be there, and he'd still be there for her. Even before he had dated her, she was important to him, just like all the Titans were to each other. He couldn't help remembering the encounter with Malchior – specifically, Raven's emotional state after all was done, and the way that she had opened the door and, out of nowhere, hugged him. It was the first time she'd ever initiated any sort of affectionate contact, and it had taken him by surprise, but it was another memory that he'd think back to fondly. She'd cared for him, and he for her, even before they were together. They'd always been special to one another, and that was something that would never change, whether they were a couple or just friends.

The thought took away some of the hurt in his chest, but not all of it. Time would have to heal the rest.

There was a gentle breeze, and Beast Boy snapped out of his reverie at the sight of movement in front of him, realising quickly that it was Raven, landing gracefully on the sand. "I thought I might find you here," she said softly.

"Raven, I-" he began, but she held up her hand in the universal gesture of "Wait, me first", and he cut himself off. She didn't start talking immediately, but Beast Boy recognised the expression as the same one she had worn earlier, before she had started talking about the woman of darkness that had attacked them. It was like she was struggling for words; trying to find the right way to start.

"My entire life, I've grown up knowing that I need to keep control of my emotions," she said at last. Her voice was not its usual monotone, but similar to how it had sounded the night before – with an undertone of unidentifiable emotion. "At first, I believed I wasn't allowed to feel at all, but being a Titan made me realise that I could, as long as I meditated regularly.

"Love, however; the idea rarely crossed my mind, and even when I did accept that I did want to feel it, I didn't think that I could. It was just too... human.

"Then you decided you wanted to be with me, and I went out with you, and it was fine. I didn't lose control because of it. And then you told me that you – that you love me, and I was so afraid because I didn't think I could feel the same and I was convinced that I would hurt you if I opened myself up like that."

She paused again, and Beast Boy could see that this entire speech was a big deal for her. She had become more open to talking about her emotions since she'd started dating Beast Boy, but she'd never seemed so open and vulnerable as she did now, laying her heart on the line.

"It was why I left you yesterday," she continued after a moment, dropping her gaze to the sand at her feet. "I feared I would lose control and I took the easy option and flew away. And I did lose control, but not in the way that I expected." There was another pause, the silence broken only by the sound of Beast Boy's own heartbeat, pounding loudly in his ears. "I didn't lose control because of what I felt for you; I lost control because I was afraid of it. I let my fears and my powers control me and they came to life, but it made me realise that I could fight them. I could control them. I was so convinced that I could not reciprocate your feelings, but I can... and I do."

For a moment, Beast Boy was certain that he had heard wrong. His jaw went slack, and his eyes locked on hers, replaying the sentence in his mind. Her expression showed nothing but sincerity – perhaps for the first time in her life, she was opening herself completely and fully to emotion. She watched him for a moment, again seeming to struggle for words, but as she spoke he knew they were true. "I love you, too."

Then, the faintest of smiles, barely visible at all, playing at her lips, she stepped forward to close the distance between them, placing a hand against his cheek. Her eyes sought his, seeking confirmation, and when she found it she leaned in and gently brushed her lips against his. It wasn't filled with any more passion or intensity than any of the other kisses they had shared, but yet Beast Boy could feel the thoughts she was trying to send through it, proving the words that she had just spoken. _This_, Beast Boy realised, as his arms encircled her waist, this was why love existed. Sometimes it would hurt and it would seem like it only brought pain, and Beast Boy wasn't naïve enough to believe that this meant that they'd be together forever and live happily ever after. Maybe they'd fight and maybe they'd break up, eventually deciding that it was time to move on. Maybe this heartbreak he had felt would be experienced all over again. Yet in the end, it didn't matter, because all the good outweighed the bad. In the end, it was all worth it, because in love there were moments like this.

* * *

And that's it. From a silly little idea that kept me up at night, to my most popular piece of fanfiction ever. This entire thing has honestly been incredible for me. When I first decided to write it, the idea consisted of Beast Boy's confession, Raven flying away, and, of course, the last line of this chapter. That was it, and the rest almost wrote itself. I can't say this is what I expected to come out of it all, but I'm certain that this reality is far better. I did not expect the response that I received, and I truly mean it when I say I cannot thank you all enough for sticking with me through seemingly endless hiatuses.

Thank you so much, and take care.

- Angel


End file.
